Rukia's Training
by Chuztox
Summary: When Rukia desires to train her abilities, she ends up working herself ragged, much to the chagrin of Captain Retsu Unohana who has a very...interesting method of discipline. Thanks to xll34 on DeviantArt for the cover image (permission given)
1. Training

The moon shone in the sky on this calm night, basking the land in its modest glow. It seemed as large and bright as it had ever appeared to those observing it tonight, but as it was nearing three in the morning, that number was miniscule. There was probably only one person out in the slight chill of the evening, one who was preoccupied with her own thoughts and reasons for being out to take notice of the details of the night sky. She stood outside the walls of the great city, determining which way would be best to go. Using no particular logic in her determination, the woman headed away from the walled city towards the somewhat wooded area on the outskirts. It took some time, but she managed to find the perfect area for her needs, a clearing on the top of a small cliff face, a drop of about fifty or so feet. It was far enough away from the Seireitei that she could only just sense the reiatsu of the common citizens who lived at the inner edge of the city. Her Shinigami robes billowed a bit in the slight breeze brought about by this chilly night, the sound of her sword being unsheathed being the only other sound.

It was a standard looking katana with a reddish hilt, but that would not last for long. "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia shouted, her voice carrying through the clearing as white reiryoku engulfed her form. The wave of cold wind that spread through the area was not caused by the ambient wind, but the release of energy from releasing her sword. She held her zanpakuto out with the blade parallel to her body, spinning the sword counter-clockwise. The change was nearly immediate; what was once a simple katana was now entirely white, blade, hand-guard, hilt, et al. A long white ribbon extended from the base of her hilt, completing what some had referred to as one of the most beautiful shikai in the Seireitei. Rukia herself did take a good amount of pride in the appearance of her sword, but her mind was currently more set on the fighting prowess and spiritual power of both her and her zanpakuto.

That was why she was here in the dead of night, she desired to train her abilities for as long as it took until she could get to the next state of her sword's release, known as bankai. She needed to grow more, to be able to protect herself and her friends better than she had before, as she could no longer rely on the resolve and strength of Ichigo, now that his powers were…no, she did not want to think about that at the moment, it would affect her concentration, which she would need in spades if she were to successfully complete this training. Unfortunately, she had little idea how to go about training, just knowing that she had to keep using her shikai and her own abilities until she reached that further bond with her sword. "First Dance – Tsukishiro!" Rukia shouted, her sword pointed down towards the ground. Just as when she first released, the blade was glowing white with energy, which immediately dissipated as she slashed the blade at no particular target. On the ground forty feet in front of her, at the bottom of the cliff, a circle with a radius of fifteen or so feet glowed serenely for just a moment or two before freezing over in a layer of pure ice. Before that even had a chance to settle, a column of light shot upwards from the frozen circle and immediately became a tall cylinder of ice that extended into the sky.

Wasting no time, Rukia quickly turned around and looked towards the trees near her. "Second Dance – Hakuren!" Rukia stabbed the ground with the tip of her sword and repeated that process thrice, more reishi particles trailing towards her sword with each stab. With a release of energy, a wave of freezing reishi swept over her and towards the trees she had aimed for, freezing everything it touched except for the Shinigami herself. The frozen path was solidly covered in clear ice, as pristine as the color of the blade that had caused the attack in the first place. It was an impressive display of her power, but it was just the start for the determined spirit. To unlock the power that was held within, she would have to show off all the power that she had, no time for breaks or rest.

True to her word, Rukia continued training as the sun came up and as it went back down again, not slowing down due to fatigue, hunger, thirst, pain or other needs. The field was covered in pillars of ice, some still intact, others shattered into chunks or cut down the middle. The rest of the area was completely covered in ice, many times over, looking more like a lake in the middle of a frozen tundra as opposed to the grassy area it had been the day before. Rukia herself had bags under her reddened eyes, her hair unkempt as if having suffered through a windstorm, beads of sweat from her overexertion streaming down her face and arms; she generally looked like she had been through hell. Her arms and legs trembled, the latter barely able to support her tired body now. Every muscle ached to rest, but no rest seemed to be in sight. As far as she was concerned, she was no closer to learning about her bankai than when she had started.

"Please, that's enough for now." A gentle voice pleaded, placing a hand on Rukia's shoulder as if she had been there the entire time. Her long hair was pale lavender in color, her skin similarly pale but white in tone, while her eyes were a blue shade that were similar to Rukia's own. Just like the Shinigami, a long bang of hair fell across the center of the woman's face, except in the opposite direction. Her clothing suited the appearance of a classic Yuki-onna just as much as the rest of her, a set of flowing white robes with sleeves far longer than the arms they held, almost like a child playing dress-up. Her spectral presence seemed to float a few inches of the ground, a cold mist slowly radiating from where she stood. "I can't…not yet…I'm still no closer to unlocking my-your power." Rukia replied, not even slowing down as she addressed the woman. "This is foolish and entirely unhealthy!" Sode no Shirayuki continued, her countenance displaying a mix of concern and anger. Rukia said nothing and merely continued her training, generating another pillar of ice in front of her as if it had become as common as breathing. It was not a sign that she was closer to a new release, just that she had grown tired of announcing the name of her attack before releasing it, even if the spirit in her sword did not appreciate that gesture. "I refuse to speak to you if you are going to act as stubborn as a child." The spirit calmly stated, fading away as she drifted her form back into the sword that the Shinigami was so desperate to master. Rukia paid her little mind, merely appreciative of the lack of what she felt had been nagging.

Elsewhere in the Soul Society, another Shinigami was looking over papers on her desk, signing them away with the due diligence her job required. "Okay Captain, I'll get these forms over to the processor before he clocks out for the night." Another Shinigami commented, shuffling the papers into the folder in her arms. "Yes, thank you, Isane. Be prompt about it, but don't stress yourself." The Captain advised, standing up and giving her Lieutenant a slight smile. Isane gave her a customary bow of recognition and hustled out of her Captain's office, glad that she was one simple task away from the end of the work day. Captain Retsu Unohana was also glad that the work day was over with, but that was not something she would ever admit to her subordinates. It was her job to lead these people as a figure to aspire to, which would never happen if she fostered an atmosphere of laziness and light-working.

It took only a glance for Retsu to verify that the office was as it should be, nothing askew even slightly. Her graceful figure left the office and headed for her quarters in this, the fourth division of the Court Guard Squads. As the Captain of the division, Unohana's days were long and days off were nearly non-existent. Especially as her division was responsible for healing and ran the hospital of the Soul Society. Just like in the world of the living, a hospital never closed, people always got sick or injured and needed help. Unohana usually arrived early in the morning and left late at night, with only her Lieutenant and assistant Isane Kotetsu clocking even close to the same amount of hours. That was why she enjoyed the nights so much, it was a time where she could just relax for a few short minutes before she had to actually go to sleep.

Her quarters were not too far away from her office, it cut down the time it took for her to travel between the two in the morning and the night. As such, it only took a few minutes for her to arrive at her destination, even at the slower pace of her graceful stride. Of course, as the head of the entire division, Retsu's quarters were less like the simple bunks of the lower seated squad members, and more similar to a hotel suite, multiple large rooms with expensive furniture and an elegant design. Most of it was just for show, of course, as she rarely had enough free time to even glance at her various furnishings, let alone use them for their intended purposes. She opened the door to her spacious bedroom and gave a content smirk at the familiar setting that represented some time away from the bustle of paperwork and leadership. "A nice soak in the tub and then some sleep. It's not much, but it'll feel a bit like heaven." Retsu spoke to no one in particular. Her primary bathroom was connected to her bedroom, a request she had granted when drafting up the blueprints for this floor. As such, she stepped inside and over to her large tub that was the centerpiece of the room and let the water begin to flow, as it would take awhile to fill to the appropriate level. With the water set to run, Unohana stepped back into her bedroom to continue getting ready for some short period of relaxation.

As she was in her own quarters, she worried not about modesty any more than a normal person who was alone in a closed room. The large braid that was draped across the front of her body was quickly undone, allowing her long black hair to flow freely. Her white Captain's haori came next, the one item she made sure to fold neatly and place on the counter. The rest of her Shinigami robes were removed gently, but not given quite the same treatment that her haori was. With her outer clothes cast aside, the usually reserved Captain stretched a bit before she continued disrobing. Her lack of outer clothing showed off a body that had been seen by only a few people in the past centuries, her trips to the hot springs being very infrequent. Despite this, her body was quite well formed, a body that most anyone of similar physical age would show off if they had it.

That was when she felt it, the trace of someone's reiatsu, very far away. It was just the smallest whiff of the spiritual pressure of the individual, but Unohana was able to tell that whoever it was was in terrible shape. As the leader of the medical division, it was her job to be able to notice health not just in person, but through the reiatsu of spirits as well. This one was so far away that only the strongest of Shinigami would be able to feel it normally, but certainly only Unohana would be able to recognize the health woes of this person. Unohana did not detect any other reiatsus near the mystery person's, so she assumed that she was merely sickly as opposed to injured, at least from a Hollow attack or other such enemy. Unohana knew she was the only one who could help this poor soul, not even Isane had the training to be able to detect the issues from this little of a trace of the pressure.

The Captain quickly donned her bathrobe and leapt out of her own window into the chilly night, towards the direction of the ailing individual. As she sped through the Soul Society, she could feel the trace of reiatsu grow gradually, able to reveal more details about why it was so haggard. Whoever it belonged to had not slept in over a day, their muscles had been active far longer than was healthy or considered exercise, and they had not had any food or water to keep them in shape while they were doing whatever it was, the actions of a foolish person who seemingly did not mind dying for whatever cause they were pursuing. It took only moments for Unohana to recognize the spiritual pressure as belonging to Rukia Kuchiki, which made Retsu all the more curious as to what was going on. As she left the Soul Society, she began to notice some pillars of what must have been ice in the distance, no doubt caused by the powers of Rukia's shikai. Had there been some type of battle here? She could not detect any other reiatsu from the potential foe, but it still seemed to make the most sense given the other evidence.

There she was, swinging her sword through the air as if aiming for an invisible target. Rukia was perched at the top of the cliffside, a field of ice extending in all directions. She looked just like her reiatsu suggested she would, overly exhausted and nearing collapse. However, Unohana did not spot a single would on the skin that was visible or tears in the Shinigami robes she was wearing, which made the possibility of a battle being the cause all the more unlikely.

Rukia was faring just as bad as she looked, her lack of sleep and energy causing her to nearly fall over multiple times, yet she continued undaunted. Her sharp mind was dulled by the haze, not even feeling as Unohana's strong spiritual presence gradually came closer and arrived at the area. She no longer noticed that she was no longer even actually using her ice attacks from her zanpakuto, just swinging aimlessly and without any form, style or rhythm. She had passed the point where even her stubbornness would have wavered and told her that this was ludicrous and dangerous, but ironically her mind was not in the right state to even listen to that, it just soldiered on.

Then the inevitable finally happened, Rukia's leg gave out on her, the muscles no longer having the energy to support even her lithe frame. While that might normally be fortuitous, allowing her to actually rest whether she wanted to or not, the gods of luck would have none of that. Rukia was so close to the cliff's edge that when her leg gave out, the Shinigami tipped enough to fall right over the edge and towards what would be a significant injury. Unohana delayed not even for the blink of an eye, speeding towards Rukia and catching her in her arms just before she reached the bottom of the drop. Rukia had reached her utmost limit by now, only seeing the blurry face of the person who caught her before her eyes closed and sleep overcame her. The only other stimulus she recognized was the feeling of relief that washed over her as she slipped off into dreamland.


	2. Punishment

The morning sun shone brightly on this new day, its rays broken up by the blinds on the window and separately falling across the form of the sleeping Shinigami. One rogue beam of light managed to land perfectly across her eyes, rousing her from her slumber. Her eyes opened, seeing a room she was not at all familiar with. Its aesthetics were pretty simple, like a bedroom that no one actually lived in or designed around some personal design style, although quite a bit larger than the average bedroom. It was similar, though distinctly different, to the guest bedrooms in the Kuchiki estate, in fact. They were more for show than actual use, just so that the noble estate could be as large and grand as it was.

"I'm glad to see you're awake, Ms. Kuchiki," came a gentle voice, to the side of the young Shinigami.

Rukia was quite startled by the presence of another person, she had yet to even think about the various reiatsu that were ambient around her, even the one that was just a few feet from her. She turned to see the face of Retsu Unohana, her stance as calm yet graceful as it always seemed to be. She was wearing a pale lavender robe that looked a bit worn, as if it was past its prime, which Rukia found odd considering the graceful appearance Unohana tended to display.

Rukia's memories were a bit fuzzy, she had no idea where she was or why Captain Unohana was here with her, but obviously something had happened to her. She clearly was not in the hospital, not even the wings reserved for the powerful or rich were as nice like this, plus there was no medical equipment of any kind that she could see. She sat up in the bed in which she was lying, allowing the top of the blanket to fall into her lap. She seemed to be wearing a plain white t-shirt, about a size too large but close enough to not be comically oversized. However, that is not what concerned the most. As she sat up, she felt an odd texture against the flesh of her lower regions. With a quick movement, she slipped her hand under the covers and brushed against the garment she felt within.

The blankets were cast aside immediately, confirming the girl's fears. The odd item she felt was not the pair of underwear she had been wearing at the last moment of memory, a pink pair adorned with Chappy the bunny, nor was it any of the pairs that she owned; it was an incontinence brief, one of the more discreet ones that had to be pulled on as opposed to taped, but an incontinence garment nonetheless. It was thankfully unused, but that was not exactly something she usually had to be thankful for, so she turned towards Unohana and gave her a look that asked the question much better than she could have with her words.

"Ah yes, I'm sorry but that was quite necessary. You had already ruined your clothes as well as my other, favorite bathrobe; I wished to prevent the same thing from happening to my guest bed." Unohana answered, as if it was just a simple answer to a normal question.

Rukia's memory immediately kicked into gear at that description; her training, her fatigue, her stubbornness and eventually, the appearance of Unohana before she eventually fell and passed out. It was utterly embarrassing that on top of all that, she had apparently relieved her bladder in the arms of the female Captain during her blackout. She had not stopped for a bathroom break during her long training, so it made sense that her bladder had been so full, but it was still embarrassing. She was not exactly fond that she had been naked in the presence of the older Shinigami, either, but at least was a doctor and thus it was not foreign to her. It was better than many others doing the same and seeing and helping her in that state, in any case.

"You have not…relieved yourself since you blacked out, if that makes you feel better about your current outfit."

It did, a bit, she supposed, but not to any significant degree. It did make her realize that her bladder was quite full at the moment, but she stayed quiet for now as it was not too overwhelming.

"I-I'm sorry I ruined your bathrobe…" Rukia muttered, blushing at the thought of what she was foolishly apologizing for.

"Do not worry about it, Ms. Kuchiki, your health is much more important." Retsu replied with a calm smile on her face, "On that note, however, it has been almost thirty-six hours since you passed out and, while I am sure your lack of further relief is considered good news to you, to me it signals a lack of hydration in what lead up to the fatigued state I found you in."

Rukia bit her lip at those words, recognizing how foolhardy her own actions were. How was she supposed to explain what she had been doing without looking like an idiot to Unohana? She felt her attempt at training was necessary, even if she had perhaps taken it too far, but there was no way that Retsu would understand that, she would just view it as foolish and scold her for it.

Rukia looked up at the woman to try to think of some excuse that would explain away the situation, but upon the sight of the older woman's face, her words failed her. Her eyes were digging into her own, like a tractor beam for the truth that Rukia was trying to hide. The younger Shinigami could only open her mouth and release the truth from within in the presence of that look.

"I…was trying to train…train to unlock my bankai." Rukia began, unable to stop herself, "I suppose I overdid it, but I have to get stronger…" Silence seemed to permeate the room, making every second feel like an hour while Rukia waited for the stern woman's response to her foolish explanation.

"I see…" Came Unohana's simple response moments later, terrifying Rukia even more than she had been before.

While the words themselves held little value or meaning, it was how they were said that truly scared the poor Reaper. Hidden in the tone of Retsu's voice was anger at what she had heard, anger easy to notice yet at the same time hidden in the tone and inflection instead of outright pouring forth. Unohana pursed her lips as she finally continued speaking after what seemed like an eternity's delay.

"So you felt that training yourself to the bone was the best way to get stronger?" Rukia knew not to open her mouth to answer that question; it was better to sit there on the bed feeling like an inch tall while she was berated for her actions. "I do not know what world it is you live in, but here, death does not equate to more power." Rukia could almost feel herself sinking into the ground as Retsu piled her verbal scolding onto her, like a puppy that needed to be whapped on the nose with the newspaper a few more times. "Well, do you have anything to say for yourself? I believe I deserve at least an explanation for your carelessness after I saved your life and had my favorite robe ruined." Unohana's eyes bore into Rukia as if they were diamond-tipped drills, demanding an answer from the petite Shinigami. "I-I…I have to be able to protect myself…and my friends, now that we can't rely on…" Rukia did not want to finish her sentence, hoping it was enough to at least satisfy the stern woman.

A sigh was released from Unohana's lips; she understood where Rukia was coming from, she truly did, but the method at which she tried to go about getting stronger was entirely reckless and more likely to weaken her than make her stronger, if not outright lead to sickness or death. She had to do something to let the young woman know of those consequences, as she recognized now that even coming this close to death had not deterred Rukia from her goal, just made her feel self-conscious for getting caught and having to be saved.

"C-can I please have something else to change into?" Rukia's request interrupted Retsu from her thoughts, "And I'd like to use the restroom, please."

Rukia hated that she had to ask for that second part, even though she would have had to do it anyway had she been a regular guest at her home; the garment she was wearing made her self-conscious of having to ask about using the lavatory, despite being a precaution that had gone thankfully would have only asked about the clothing, but her bladder was starting to ache at the moment and she was not sure she would be able to last long enough against the pressure. Unohana, on the other hand, had ideas fly through her mind upon hearing Rukia's two requests, although her stoic countenance disguised that from the other woman's eyes.

Without saying another word, Unohana sat down on the bed next to Rukia, pulling the covers off the rest of the way so as to fully free Rukia from their confines. Rukia took this as a sign to go use the restroom and turned her legs over the side of the bed in order to do so. No sooner had her bare feet grazed the carpeting than Unohana had her hand gently placed upon the collarbone of the young noblewoman as a sign that she was not to get up yet. Without a wasted motion, the older woman's hand shifted under one of Rukia's armpit, while her other hand did the same under the other one, lifting Rukia into the air as if she weighed nothing and deposited the girl swiftly onto her own lap. Before Rukia had a chance to ask what was about to happen, Unohana placed a finger to her own lips to signal that she was to remain quiet.

"What is about to happen is for your own good, Ms. Kuchiki, however much you may disagree for now." Unohana warned ominously.

"Can…I at least use the bathroom first?" Rukia asked again, hoping for a reprieve. Normally she would have kept her mouth shut as Unohana had told her to, but her need to relieve herself was too much to just wait for however long this was going to take.

"You can hold it," Came Unohana's curt answer nearly immediately.

Rukia knew better than to say anything else, Unohana was clearly determined and her anger was legendary in the Soul Society. More people were afraid of her than even the Captain Commander, it sometimes seemed like. She would just have to hold it in and hope that whatever berating or scolding Unohana was about to do was short and succinct. It was not as if there was much more she could say, she had already lambasted her for her actions so there was not much more to add, was there? Unohana said nothing more as she once again grasped the girl with both hands, this time with one arm under her knees and the other perpendicular to her spine. Rukia had no choice but to allow herself to be lifted and then shifted around until she was over Retsu's lap such that her behind was propped up in the air. She was baffled for a moment before she realized what was going on, the prospect to absurd for it to have come to mind any sooner than it had.

"W-wait! Let me go! You can't do this!" The proud Shinigami shouted, squirming in the grasp of Unohana despite her legacy of being terrifying to cross. The Captain's grip held firm, as if it was but a simple worm squirming in her arms.

"I just warned you that you would not like this." Unohana calmly stated as if it was just a casual reminder.

With a quick swipe of her hand, Rukia's padded brief was slid down her thrashing legs, causing the already embarrassed girl's face to blush even deeper. The cool morning air making contact with the newly exposed flesh only exacerbated the need for bladder relief, as nudity tended to do to people in that state. Rukia focused less on that and more on escaping this situation, however, completely flabbergasted that this respected Shinigami was subjecting her to such an indignity, and she had not even gotten to the worst part yet, and if Rukia was successful, she never would.

"I am of the Kuchiki household, my brother is the head of the Noble Kuchiki family, you cannot do this!" Rukia shouted, more of a panicked plea than the command that she had intended, "The family will not stand for this! My brother-" The thunderclap of Unohana's hand striking her bare behind cut off her empty threat, eliciting a yelp of pain.

"Your brother's pride has rubbed off on you, but even he would be stricken with grief were you to die." Unohana spoke up, finishing Rukia's sentence with her own thoughts instead of the ones from Rukia herself.

Retsu's guided palm found its target once more, leaving a red mark that faded slower than on the first strike and educing another shout of pain from the still thrashing Shinigami, as well as a few tears in her eyes. She did not want to cry, of course, but the older woman's strikes were just that powerful and painful upon her rear.

"As would Captain Ukitake…and Orihime…and Uryu…and Chad…and Ichigo..." Unohana continued, punctuating each name with another strike on Rukia's ever reddening behind.

The young woman's thrashing had all but stopped now, leaving her sobbing from the intensity of the pain that continued to radiate outwards, her dignity and pride all but shattered by the half-dozen smacks. With each blow, Rukia focused less and less on her extreme need to relieve herself and more on the increasing painful, utterly humiliating event taking place, no longer even listening to the names that Retsu was speaking. And then it happened, on the ninth strike of the spanking, Rukia's bladder could hold no more. The pressure that had been building steadily had managed to pass the tipping point both by her lack of concentration as well as the force of each strike. The tears that streamed down her face were now not the only liquid that flowed in excess from her body, her lack of any clothing allowing the stream to fall onto Rukia's legs (ironically missing the incontinence brief entirely), Unohana's robe, as well as the bed they were on. The Captain was very surprised at the sudden spurt, shifting backwards as much as she could with the source of the fluid still on her lap. If it had been possible, Rukia would have been crying even more than she already was, but the spanking had already pushed her to the point of bawling so there was nowhere else to go. Unohana waited until the other Shinigami's bladder had been entirely emptied and then landed one last blow onto the blistered behind, stronger than the last by a fair amount as a punishment for the accident Rukia just had, a loud shriek of pain from the girl signaling that she had made her point.

"Well, I suppose that was _partially _my fault, as you did profess the need to relieve yourself beforehand…" Unohana began, speaking with a tone that was far too casual to be apt for the circumstances she had just orchestrated, "However, you should have been able to hold it in until we had finished. Your actions last night may have been childish, but I still expected more adult behavior out of you. I was planning on letting that spanking be the full reminder to take care of yourself better, but after that little display of utter immaturity, it seems I may need to enact further punishment…and you have given me the perfect idea…" Her words were ominous, terrifying Rukia to her very core.

After getting her behind tanned and emptying her bladder involuntarily onto herself and her superior, what further punishment could Unohana have even come up with to make those feel less severe in comparison? Her mind boggled, even as Retsu lifted the girl off her lap and placed her in a standing position on the floor, allowing the Captain to stand up and better survey the damage Rukia had caused. The younger Shinigami's face was still as red and wet as a rain-soaked tomato as she sniffled and held her hands over her privates to hide them from view.

"Now, go stand in the corner over there while I go get a few preparations." Unohana commanded, pointing towards one of the corners of her guest room. "And keep that brief around your ankles. I do not want you wearing it while I am gone, but if there are any remnants in your bladder that need to be released, it will at least offer some protection for my carpeted floors if it remains in place."

Rukia dared not argue with her, despite how much she wanted to shout that she was not a child who would dribble at the slightest hint of bladder pressure. She knew it would be futile and might even end with her back over Retsu's knee again, but it also did not seem like such a convincing argument after emptying herself uncontrollably during the spanking like she had just done. Rukia's thoughts were interrupted as the other woman began tapping her foot, a sign that she was waiting for her whims to be adhered to, and fearing further punishment, Rukia obliged, waddling her way over towards the corner as the padded brief crinkled ever so slightly with each step.

"Now, if you move so much as an inch from the corner while I am away, you might wish you had perished yesterday…" Unohana threatened as she stepped out of the guest room, making Rukia realize that she would probably have just wet herself in fear had she not just relieved herself. She knew better than to disobey at this point, she merely stood facing the corner with her hands still over her privates, her throbbing behind a reminder of what Unohana was capable of and willing to do. The only thing she feared more than Unohana at this point, was what punishment she was planning on enacting.

* * *

Back at the field where Rukia had tried to train, fields and pillars of ice were still peppered everywhere. The reishi built into the ice that Rukia generated meant that it took much longer for the ice to melt at lukewarm temperatures than standard ice would. One pillar in particular began to shake violently before quickly shattering, disturbing the silence that had permeated the field moments earlier. A golden pillar of energy, much smaller than the ice column had been, faded away as a pair of violet eyes glowed in the shadow of the large tree that had previously been frozen over.

"It appears my Negación prevented that Shinigami from discovering me here…" It spoke, its voice deep and cruel sounding, "Good…" It knew not who the Shinigami was or anything about her, just that ice was its offensive capabilities and that the lingering reiatsu was not one that it would ever forget. It quickly cast another Negación over its form as it returned to its slumber, thinking about how good the Shinigami would taste when it ripped the flesh off its bones.


	3. Padding

_Once again, the current manga chapters are kind of showing Unohana in a new light, which I obviously did not take into account when planning or writing this story, so if some things do not match up with her new characterization and details, just keep that in mind._

* * *

The wait was excruciating, just standing there in the corner with her sore behind throbbing and an incontinence brief around her ankles. The spanking had been etched deeper and deeper into her memory with each strike of the woman's bare palm. It did not matter how long she ended up afterliving, and as a Shinigami that could be millennia, she would never ever forget this event. How could she, she was an adult and yet was placed over the knee of an older woman and even had the indignity of wetting herself while on that same woman's lap. It was the kind of information that, should it be released into the public or even a small sample of her peers, would cause humiliation of such a level that Rukia was not sure she could remain living in the Soul Society. She did not believe Unohana to be the type of person to release such information, least of all because of how it would be humiliating for her as well. Then again, Retsu's anger was the talk of legends, and while she had never thought that would entail a situation like this, who knows to what lengths the Captain would go to punish Rukia.

She had no idea how much time had passed until she finally heard the sound of the door opening. It felt like forever, but as far as she knew, it might have only been ten or so minutes. She made sure not to move a muscle as she heard Retsu moving through her home, sounds of rustling as if she was carrying grocery bags following her. While she had not moved from her spot at all in the time the woman had been gone, she did not want to give her even the slightest bit of chance of saying that her position was not to her liking and getting in even more trouble. She was not going to be taking any chances with Unohana, now that she knew for sure what anger and punishment she was capable of. With a click, she heard the door to the guest room open as Unohana stepped gently in.

"You may step out of the corer now, Ms. Kuchiki." The voice spoke, back at the levels she normally spoke with. In some way, this almost terrified Rukia more than if her voice still held a hint of frustration. She knew the woman was still mad and about to subject her to some unknown further punishment, so speaking at her natural voice tone just seemed…off in a way.

Not wanting to risk aggravating the woman once more, Rukia quickly waddled her way out of the corner and towards her. She had not been explicitly told to, so the petite woman was not going to risk taking the brief off of her ankles. Unohana had changed out of the robe that Rukia had…stained, it seemed, as she was now wearing what was now the third robe she had put on in the past twenty-four hours, light blue in color and with a small rip on the arm, perhaps why it was the tertiary robe she chose. She had a single bag in her arms, but it was a more cloth-like material that not only obscured the contents inside, but did not account for the rustling she had heard. The Shinigami felt her heart beat rapidly as her nerves overtook her, each step seeming like one foot closer to her demise. And yet she eventually found herself standing in front of the woman, her hands firmly clasped over her privates to avoid as much embarrassment as possible, not that she was doing a very good job considering all that happened. Unohana said nothing as Rukia approached, merely laying a lavender towel down on the carpet at there feet for some reason Rukia could not discern. There was nothing spilled there, and her accident had note gone anywhere near this side of the room, so the reason was lost on her.

"Please, Ms. Kuchiki, please lie down if you will." Retsu spoke, still just as calm as if there was no situation at hand.

Rukia hesitated for all of a moment before determining that it would be better to find out the reason by following along rather than questioning and getting a further punishment before having it just happen anyway. The towel was thankfully of good quality, a nice soft fabric that did not irritate her sore behind near as much as she was expecting it to. Retsu knelt down beside the girl, placing the bag down next to her as she sat.

"Now, I was fully planning to give you some appropriate clothes and let you leave here with just a lecture and a sore bottom, but you made me realize that would not be enough to deter you from your self-destructive actions." Retsu placed her finger to her lips as she saw the younger Shinigami open her mouth as if to protest, letting her know that she was not done speaking. "As well, that display of lacking control you displayed while over my lap gave me ideas for how to both further punish you for your actions as well as hinder your self-destructive intentions. You will live with me for an undetermined period of time so that I may watch over you and make sure you are not trying to train yourself or such." Unohana spoke.

Rukia was a bit surprised to hear that, it was not at all the kind of punishment she had been expecting; it hardly seemed like a punishment at all compared to the blistering she had just received on her bottom. In fact, while Retsu's home was not as luxurious as the noble household she had lived in for years now, it was not as if she was a born noble used to only the best that life had to offer her, she had known utter poverty all those many years ago so living in moderate comfort was not exactly the kind of thing she would call a punishment.

"N-not that I'm arguing with your demand or anything…" Rukia began, afraid that Unohana would look at this as her arguing against the so-called punishment, "…but the Kuchiki household would clearly object to my…absence for any extended length of time with no reason, even if it was so decided by one of the Captains. As well…I'm the Lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division"

Retsu just nodded as Rukia spoke, looking nonplussed by the logic of the young woman. "Yes, I thought of that. I will speak to Juushiro and Byakuya personally and let them know that you will be staying with me in order to learn some basic to intermediate healing Kido. I know you have a natural affinity for Kido, so it should be considered an appropriate explanation." The woman responded, having clearly thought this through to the end.

"But…I don't know any healing Kido, what if I'm expected to show my skills or an ally is wounded on the battlefield and my supposed training comes up?" Rukia responded, imagining the various scenarios that could unravel the lie in the worst possible way.

"I never said I would be lying to them, dear." Retsu replied, not missing a beat. "Medics are important in a battle, and while you are not a Fourth Division Shinigami or possess a zanpakuto that heals, your aptitude in Kido would make it a waste not to learn at least some rudimentary healing spells. With your recent promotion to Lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division, your responsibilities and underlings will only grow, thus you and your abilities will need to grow as well."

Rukia could not deny the logic in her words; she herself had entertained the idea of learning some healing spells of her own, but had just never gotten around to it. As a Lieutenant, she was going to be responsible for many more people than she had been before, so any way she could help them on the field of battle was necessary and welcome. Yet here she was receiving a punishment that involved her getting to learn from the greatest healer in the Soul Society. It was quite bizarre, she had to admit, but it was now beginning to seem more like a small vacation than a punishment, outside of the reason that her behind was still throbbing in pain. On that note, she began to wonder why she was lying on this towel once more, as she would rather stand at the moment instead of putting more weight on the sore area.

Unohana, as if to add to her confusion over the issue, suddenly reached over and tugged the girl's hands away from her privates, causing Rukia's face to blush as deep a red as it could. Rukia stumbled on her words to try to ask why Retsu was forcing her to display her intimate area, as it was so unexpected and humiliating. She was aware that the Captain had already seen her like this when she changed her out of the clothes she had ruined after passing out, but to do so so suddenly while she was awake was baffling to her. Retsu, having seen the look of shock on the girl's face, just gave her a simple smile and reached one hand into the bag she had brought.

"You just had an accident, dear, and while I took the brunt of the attack, I still imagine you would like to be wiped up. Unless you want an infection or rash?" The question was rhetorical of course, but it did not really explain to Rukia why she could not just do it on her own when she went to get changed into whatever clothes Unohana would offer her.

That question went momentarily unanswered, as Unohana's hand came out of the bag with a pack of wipes in hand. Not regular wipes, mind you, but moist wipes designated for cleaning infants.

"Oh, did I forget to mention?" Retsu began, clear as day that she knew that she had yet to mention whatever it was she was about to tell the girl, "While you are staying with me, you will find yourself without certain privileges that you have taken for granted as both a noblewoman and an adult. I feel I can better watch over you if you are more of an oversized toddler than a privileged adult." Retsu spoke as if it was as casual as could be talking about this. Rukia had no idea what she even meant by treating her like a toddler, was she going to give her an early bedtime or something? "You can thank your little potty accident for this idea, dear." Unohana continued, making sure it was known that Rukia should be blaming herself if she did not like the punishment.

With a deft hand, Retsu began to wipe one of the baby wipes along the surface of Rukia's private area, eliciting a blush even deeper than before. Unohana kept her simple smile on her face while she cleaned the girl, but in her mind she knew she was causing the reaction she wanted in the young Shinigami. She had to etch the embarrassment in her mind or else her lesson would be quickly forgotten when she left here. Of course, this was just the start for her, what she had in mind would be sure to be something that this young woman would never dare to forget. Neither woman said anything as Retsu continued, wiping along the insides of the girl's legs and thighs due to the circumstances of her accident. "There, all clean. Now to get you into your outfit."

Unohana reached into the bag again, pulling out a white canister with some words that Rukia could not read from the angle she was resting at. She was wondering what it was for, but Unohana answered that for her in a much more efficient way than words could, opening the top sprinkling it on the privates of the suddenly surprised girl. The smell that wafted through the room was pleasant, a nice smell that Rukia was sure she should recognize, but it just did not come to her mind. Possibly because she was more concerned with why her privates just had a layer of powder liberally sprinkled on them, a concern that only grew as Retsu began rubbing the powder along her skin both on her privates and her behind. If there was any shade of deeper red that was possible for skin to appear, her face would be painted that color.

Retsu's hand went back into the bag once more, this time staying in the confines of the fabric sack as sounds of rustling and tearing could be heard. What she pulled out a few moments later was probably the last thing that Rukia had expected to see, but it certainly tied all the curious things from the last few minutes together – a diaper! It was folded up at the moment, but there was no mistaking the garment for what it was, the kind of incontinence brief that made the pull-up brief from before seem like her adult underwear in comparison. The petite Shinigami's face immediately shifted from deep red to pale white, the nervousness overtaking her body.

"You…you can't be serious…" Rukia uttered, too overtaken to even think of being afraid of punishment for arguing against the older woman, "I didn't know you were being so literal about treating me like an overgrown…toddler." She could barely say that last word now that the reality of it was crashing down onto her like a waterfall.

The smile on the Captain's face said it all, it looked no different to the same simple smile that almost always adorned her face, but it was not hard to see the smug satisfaction held behind the façade. She knew the humiliation that this was causing the poor girl, but that was what motivated her to use it as a punishment.

"Well, the original brief was only because I was not sure how long you would be unconscious. But once you had that potty accident on my lap, I realized that this would be very fitting. Besides, I'm supposed to be watching over you and I can think of no better way to do so other than this." Unohana replied, as if it was as simple an explanation as any other.

"But…I'm an adult!" Rukia exclaimed, flabbergasted that she was really going to enforce such a punishment, "That accident was just that! There were extenuating circumstances…and because you didn't let me use the bathroom when I asked, you admitted that yourself!" Rukia had a similar smug smirk on her face, believing that there was no way for her logic to be argued by the woman, she would have to relent now.

"Nice try, dear, but you're too focused on your accident. This is a punishment for nearly killing yourself in a foolish manner. I need to get you to realize how bad of an idea what you tried was, not for your little potty accident; that just gave me the idea for this."

The smirk on Rukia's face dropped to a scowl as she heard the woman's remarks, it was a ludicrous idea to punish an adult with the treatment of a toddler, and yet she seemed to believe it was the best idea to teach the younger Shinigami a lesson.

"Now, please let me finish getting you dressed." Retsu continued, "If I must give you another warning not to disobey and struggle, I will…" Rukia's reddened cheeks clenched as she heard that veiled threat, as if they instinctively knew she was speaking of another spanking.

As much as she wanted to struggle, to thrash and yell as if having the type of tantrum appropriate for the age Retsu wanted to treat her, she knew it was a terrible idea, she would just have her still sore rear struck once more and then it would just happen anyway. Even as her behind was lifted off the floor and back down onto the odd padding that had been slipped under her, she stayed silent, though cursing and screaming in her mind like a sailor that had stubbed his toe. Her mental exclamations only increased as she felt the garment pulled over her front, the removal of her nudity the dullest of silver linings that she could imagine at this point. With the garment pulled over, Retsu gripped the overlapping sides tugged them over the front, taping each of the four tabs down snugly.

"There, all done." Retsu cooed, a bit more saccharine than Rukia was used to or comfortable with. The diaper was a standard issue in a hospital, not surprising considering Unohana's division specialty, it also explained how she had gotten the supplies in such a short time frame. It was not exactly the most thick or absorbent adult incontinence garment, but as she was not exactly used to or expecting to wear it, that lack of bulk was not evident to the petite woman. As far as she was concerned, she felt like she was wearing a couple of plastic pillows between her legs. As if to add insult to injury, Unohana patted the front of the garment mostly to make Rukia even more aware of its existence.

"There we go, now feel free to use it when you have to potty." Retsu mentioned, her inflection suggesting it was more of a command than a suggestion.

"But…" Rukia began, not surprised at the demand but still aggravated that she was expected to use the humiliating underwear for its intended purpose.

"No buts, or yours will regret it…" Unohana casually responded. The younger Shinigami used all the willpower she had not to yell right there, but her logic kept that at bay, able to rationalize that perhaps she might be able to talk Unohana out of it when the time came for her to use the restroom again. By then, the older woman might have calmed down whatever internal anger was fueling this bizarre wildfire of a punishment and thus would be open to discussion or concessions.

With her unwanted underwear on, Rukia sat up into a sitting position, painfully aware of every rustle and crinkle that pervaded her ears. Every motion, no matter how small, seemed to generate a jet engine's worth of sound. She knew that it was not quite that loud, but her anxiety over having to wear the garment was making her imagine it hundreds of times louder than it really was. Perhaps the only good thing about the padded garment to her, was the fact that the cushioning was less painful when sitting on her sore behind. It was not a millionth of percent of the way to being enough to make it worth it in her mind, but it was still an undeniable detail. She looked left and right for any sign of additional clothes for her to wear, but saw nothing. Her current shirt was a little baggy on her, but nowhere near enough to even cover a decent percentage of her diaper, even if she were to try tugging down on it.

"Umm…can I at least get new clothes to wear?" Rukia inquired, her face sporting a blush that she was afraid would never go away until she had finally been given her regular underwear back.

"Soon enough, dear." Retsu responded, gently pulling Rukia by the hand back up into a standing position, "But now I think you need a nap. I know you just woke up, but after everything you have been through, I believe some extra sleep will help your body recover quicker." Unohana answered before the lithe woman even had a chance to question her. "Now, if you cannot fall asleep, just lie there quietly until I return, it will give you time to think about your actions and how to better yourself." Retsu spoke once more, lifting Rukia under the arms and lying her on the bed without even giving her the chance to do so herself. "Sweet dreams, dear." She turned and closed the blinds so that it would appear as dark as it could be at this time of day, still very bright.

"Umm…thanks…" Rukia reluctantly muttered, hoping that politeness would help that idea she had about speaking to the older woman later. Unohana just gave her a kindly smile, perhaps more of a smile than she was used to showing off, and left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

Thoughts of removing the diaper surfaced in Rukia's mind, but were quickly squashed when she realized that, because of the tabs, there would be no way to put the diaper back on when, or perhaps more accurately if, she heard Unohana returning to get her up. The tapes would probably nor survive being taken off again, and if Retsu had caught her without the garment on, she imagined that her behind would be blistered bad enough to make her previous spanking seem like, or lack of a better term, child's play. With a defeated sigh, Rukia threw the covers over herself, figuring that even if she could not sleep at such a time, keeping the diaper out of her sight would at least help with not thinking about the fact that she was wearing it, although the strong aroma of baby powder, the sound of crinkling and the feel of the bulk and material between her legs made it pretty overwhelmingly obvious, either way. Despite her disbelief that she even needed any sort of nap, Retsu seemed to be right about the way her body was recovering from its state, finding herself drifting off into a slumber just a few minutes later.


	4. Rules

Darkness surrounded Rukia, like a black blanket thrown over her blindfolded eyes on a moonless light, it was an offsetting sight, or lack thereof. Had she overslept during her nap and not woken up until the middle of the night? That would not explain the eternal darkness of this place, but it made more sense than anything else at the moment, anyway. It was as if a wind suddenly blew through the void, wiping away all the blackness to reveal something that was perhaps more bizarre, a nursery built for a baby, though now that Rukia looked around, that infant must have been about her size, if the furniture was any indication. Now she was just entirely confused, who was this room for and how had she gotten here? Before she had a chance to even look around for clues, the door to the room opened, revealing a woman she knew by the name of Unohana, though she was quite sure that the woman she knew as Unohana was not a fifteen foot tall giant, as this one appeared to be. Without uttering a single word, the giant Retsu waved her hand through the air gracefully, as another wind suddenly blew through the odd room. It felt like a gentle wind, but it somehow had the power to tear her Shinigami robes off of her body, as if they were nothing, leaving her wearing naught but her underwear, though before she had a chance to cover herself, her bra was also stripped into nothingness by the gentle breeze.

"What's going on…?" Her question to the giant woman went unanswered, though she was glad to see that her pale lavender panties were spared from the vicious breeze. Yet, spared was perhaps not the word, as she soon realized that something was happening to them as she stared dumbfounded at the enormous Retsu. They were…changing in some way, puffing out as if she were wearing progressively more pairs one on top of the others. As she watched the color began to fade from the already pale underwear, while it seemed to be gaining a different texture from the simple cotton to something more akin to a plastic, which she could tell both by the feeling and the slight sheen the fabric was steadily gaining. Soon, the sides of the new garment began to split down the side, separating and reattaching almost instantly, with the help of four newly formed tabs to hold it together. It was a diaper! Rukia had no idea why her panties were turning into a diaper, but surely it was the cause of the giant woman who subjected her to that strange gust of wind. "St-stop this!" She shouted, tugging at the garment as it finished the transformation. It refused to budge, giving no more let than her own skin would if she tried to tug that off. "Pwease, stop dis! No need diapee!" What was happening to her voice!? Her vocabulary was just unusable, not matter what she intended to say, it was coming out broken and without proper pronunciation.

"Rukia…"

"Rukia…"

The giant of woman spoke her name aimlessly, as if not hearing her struggling to speak. Rukia's legs suddenly began feeling weaker, until they could no longer hold up her petite frame, dropping her onto her now-padded behind with a loud, undignified crinkling sound. The young woman tried once more to yell for the giant Retsu to do something, anything to help her, but instead of even broken language, all that came out was a bunch of unintelligible babbling. It made her previous outburst sound sophisticated in comparison.

"Rukia…"

"Rukia…"

Still the giant woman said nothing to her other than her name, as if she was trying to find her. It seemed like she was more and more becoming fit to be a resident of this room, and the more that happened to her, the more she felt she was supposed to be the resident of the oddly sized nursery. Considering everything that was happening to her, Rukia did the only thing that made sense, she fell onto her back and began to cry her eyes out, like the baby that everything was telling her she was.

* * *

"Rukia, dear, it's time to wake up." She heard the voice speak through the haze of having just awoken, sitting up and yawning. "If you nap the day away, you won't be able to sleep through the night." Rukia's mind began to speed up the realization process as the knowledge of the situation came back into focus. All the events of the hours before her nap came back to her, breaking through the fuzzy fog from just being pulled out of her dream. A dream that made her all the more aware of her current situation, diapered and under punishment from the woman waking her up. She had that this had all just been some bizarre dream, much like the one she had just had, but she had no such luck, this was the equally bizarre reality she found herself in and it was not going to end so simply. With no further words, Retsu gently pulled the covers off the petite Shinigami, leaving her wearing just the loose t-shirt and the padded garment she was saddened to see still existed. She knew it was there from the fact that she was able to feel the plastic-like material around her waist before, but the visual confirmation was still depressing.

While she was busy ruminating on the fact that her reality now involved diapers, at least temporarily, Unohana has managed to slip her first two fingers into the legband of Rukia's unwanted garment, eliciting a surprised yelp from the young woman. "Sorry dear, but I had to check if you needed a change yet." Unohana simply replied, patting the front of the diaper once more. Needed a change? Of course she was still dry, her one accident was not going to suddenly make her a bedwetter! Did Unohana really think she might have wet herself already, or was she being deliberate-of course she was. It was quite obvious now, she just wanted to make Rukia feel embarrassed as that was part of her ongoing punishment.

"I-I could have told you that…" Rukia muttered, knowing better than to accuse Retsu of her purposeful actions. To do so would just get her more in trouble, something she clearly did not need right now. It was bad enough already, and she still had yet to even learn the true nature of her ongoing reprimand, at least as far as she knew, anyway. Unohana had implied that there was more to it than just the new underwear and the training in healing, as much as she felt the former was more than punishment enough.

"Well, since you don't need to be changed, I'll make us a quick snack, then I'll finish telling you the rules about your punishment." Unohana calmly stated. Rukia found herself quite hungry, so the prospect of a snack interested her., though the elaboration of the rules that was to come with it did make her nervous. Retsu took her by the hand and assisted getting her out of bed, as if she needed help with such a simple task. She did not comment on that indignity, however, as it was so minor compared to what already happened and presumably what was to come. Her current outfit still bothered her, more specifically the lack of covering, as her distaste for the protective garment went without saying.

"Can I get new clothes yet?" She asked, unconsciously tugging at her shirt again. "No, you are fine for now, though if you are too warm, I would be fine with you removing your shirt." The older woman replied, more of a threat of further embarrassment than an allowance. It was quite clear to Rukia, as well. Unohana took her lack of response as a no and walked out of the guest room. Rukia followed without a word, very aware of every awkward step caused by the bulky garment. Unohana soon made it to the kitchen, her crinkling follower waddling right behind her. She pulled out a chair and motioned for Rukia to sit, which she immediately did. While her distaste for the diaper forced upon her was strong, she had to admit that it helped when it came to sitting on her sore behind. Nowhere near worth having to deal with it, but a bonus nonetheless.

It was quiet while the Shinigami waited for the food to be made, only the sound of dishes rattling and the various cooking utensils clacking as they were used. Soon enough, she was presented with a small bowl of rice and miso soup. It was a simple meal, but appreciated all the same. "Thank you for the meal, Captain." Rukia spoke, grasping her utensils before she realized that Retsu was without food of her own. "Aren't you going to eat, too?" She questioned, finding it odd to be the only one eating.

"No, I ate while you napped." Her answer was calm and quick, "So please do eat promptly so I can explain the full extent of the rules." Rukia was not exactly looking forward to that, but if she dawdled in eating, she might draw Retsu's ire, which would be bad for her behind or hurt her attempts to plead for a lesser punishment If one of the rules disturbed her so much that she felt it was worth it to try to argue.

Soon enough, she had finished her meal and before she even had a chance to tell Unohana as such, she found her two bowls being pulled away and placed in the sink, presumably to be cleaned later. Afterwards, Retsu moved over to the fridge and pulled something out from inside, but she emerged with her sleeves covering her arms and thus hiding anything she might or might not be carrying. Her robes did not hang to floor or anything, so if she was holding anything, it was not too large. Without addressing it at all, Retsu walked over towards Rukia and ushered her off of the chair, towards the living area of the Captain's home. Rukia followed, beginning to get anxious now that she was so close to the rules being clarified for her.

"Did you enjoy your meal?" Retsu asked as she sat down on the sofa. "Yes, it was delicious, thank you." Outside of the saving of her life and such, it was the only thing Rukia had been thankful for while in her company recently.

"Good, because it's the last one like it you'll have for awhile." Retsu spoke, chilling Rukia down to her bone. What did she mean, was she going to starve her to near afterdeath or something? That was a lot worse that Rukia had been expecting, it even made her wish she could trade it for another spanking or something she had previously been dreading before the woman spoke.

"Now, before you get all confused about what that means, come here and sit on my lap so I can explain everything." Rukia blinked incredulously a few times, mostly at the prospect of sitting on her superior's lap. Where had that even come from, it was so strange that it took her a moment to process the words to make sure that she did not mishear the older woman.

"Come on, did you not hear me, dear? Up on my lap." Unohana spoke, as if it were as common as walking through a door. She even patted her lap to express that idea outside of words. She was still baffled, but she listened and sat her padded behind on the older woman's lap. It only exacerbated their height difference, as even propped up on the other woman's lap, the petite Shinigami still found herself below Unohana's eyelevel.

With Rukia positioned as Unohana had requested, the woman pulled her hand out of her robe, holding the object that she had been hiding since the opening of the fridge, a baby bottle full of milk. Rukia just stared at it, wondering if perhaps she was just seeing something that was not there due to own fear. But no, it was quite clearly there, no less real than the Captain herself. As if it did not need to be acknowledged, Unohana began shifting the smaller woman in her lap, cradling her head with her own arm and letting her legs dangle off her lap and onto the couch cushions. It was a bit of an odd position for Rukia, but then again, she was more concerned with the infantile canister than something as trivial as a position change.

However, her questions, as well as her fears, were answered just moments later, as Unohana moved the rubber nipple of the bottle up to the younger woman's lips and pushed it between them, not enough to hurt, but certainly forcible enough to let the diminutive woman know that it was not optional. Rukia had no choice but to try to drink the milk; the suckling motion was one her mouth was not used to, but the instinctual motions resurfaced after a bit of fumbling and she found the cold milk gushing into her mouth. While the act was wholly embarrassing, the milk was a nice palette cleanser for her meal, and as long as there was no way to avoid being nursed as such, she might as well enjoy a cold, refreshing drink.

"Okay, listen to these rules as I have thought long and hard about them." Retsu began, making sure that Rukia kept the bottle in her mouth, "First and foremost, the diapers you are and will be wearing are to be used for the intention that they are designed for."

That, however, nearly made Rukia choke on the milk in her throat. It was not something she had ever considered from the punishment, she assumed that the one diaper was a temporary disciplinary article to be a humiliating reminder of her accident. But to expect Rukia to wear and use diapers full time for however long she was living with Unohana? That was just insane, she could hardly believe that Retsu really expected her to do so. Her anger might be legendary, but as far as Rukia was concerned, this was just cruel and unusual punishment, and while their military government did not specifically outlaw that, it still was not something that would be expected. The fact that her bladder pressure had been building since she had been woken up only made the situation even more obnoxious. Unless she could change Unohana's mind soon, she would be using the diaper whether she was being made to by the older woman or not.

"Before you try and argue, I will not be swayed on this point, dear." Retsu continued, her voice still holding the same authoritarian tone as it usually did, "I know this is a shock for you, but it is happening whether you want it to or not, so drink your milk and let me continue. If you continue to interrupt me, I will not hesitate to take my hand to your backside again." The threat was duly noted, the struggling Rukia slowly going back to drinking her milk as her shock-widened eyes narrowed again, though looking thoroughly annoyed.

"Now, most of all, while you are living with me, I am your appointed guardian. I will feed you, clothe you, bathe you, change you, and anything else appropriate for a young toddler. As well, as you are not an actual toddler, I expect much better behavior from you than one would expect from a child that young. If you misbehave, you will be punished. Whether that punishment is corner time, a loss of further privileges, a bare-bottom spanking or something worse, is based on the transgression, so keep that in mind." Retsu threatened, making Rukia shiver in fear at the thought of a punishment worse than another spanking. Unfortunately, that shiver just made her more aware of her bladder, now that it had hit the point where she would usually excuse herself to go to the bathroom.

The milk that she was drinking, while not being added immediately to her filling bladder obviously, was still implanting the idea in her mind and exacerbating the growing need. She found herself fidgeting a bit while being cradled, just an unconscious reaction to having to urinate but being unable to. She was determined not to just wet the diaper she was wearing, even if Unohana was going to force her to do so eventually, she would put up as much of a fight as she could or at least hold on until her muscles gave way, to delay the inevitable as long as possible.

"This will last however long I deem necessary to see you have learned what I am trying to impart. If that means you are here for a year, then so be it. I will not accept a failure on either of our behalves." The prospect of spending a year under Unohana's thumb was terrifying. A year of being babied and wearing diapers, how could she ever hope to come back from that, even if she was eventually allowed to return to her real life? Whatever Unohana had in mind to teach her, she better make damn sure to learn quickly, that was for sure.

"If you could not tell by being bottlefed, these rules go into place now. Is that understood? I will accept a simple nod, as you are supposed to be finishing your milk." It seemed obvious to Rukia that the rules were already in place, she had already been put into a diaper and now she was being fed through a bottle on the woman's lap, so it was not as if there was doubt or leeway to be had. She simply nodded her head at Retsu's rules, she wanted to scream and fight them, argue for her adulthood, but to do so while wearing a diaper and drinking from a bottle just seemed wrong, even if it was not her decision to use them, not to mention the strikes her backside would receive, as well.

"Good girl, now finish your bottle." The woman directed. Rukia had been slowing down, the motions needed to suckle out the milk distracting her from her efforts not to wet herself, efforts that were steadily going to waste as she felt a spurt release into the thirsty padding. It was not much, but if it was any indication, there was no way she would last much longer. Thankfully, she had managed to finish off the milk in the bottle just a few moments later, squirming a bit on Retsu's lap as some form of alternate potty dance.

"Y-you don't really expect me to use this…thing, do you?" Rukia pleaded, clearly speaking of the protective garment.

"Yes, I absolutely do. I understand your reservations, but I believe you had an easy enough time doing so over my lap last night…" The scathing remark only left Rukia blushing, much as it presumably was intended to. Still, she knew that the older woman was not stupid, she was very aware that Rukia was desperate for release at the moment, and was going to deny her until the inevitable happened, however long that took.

Twenty seconds; it only took twenty seconds after that statement for her bladder to release itself despite all her attempts to hold it in. The warm liquid poured out of her body and was quickly absorbed by the garment. It was thankfully good at its job, at least, not leaking or getting the woman's lap wet as well. The slight hiss and sounds of the padding settling as it filled were the only sounds in the room as the humiliation occurred, just a small smirk appearing on Unohana's face as the accident made itself known.

"Well then, I see someone wasted no time getting acclimated. Let's get you changed now, though in the future, do not expect me to drop whatever I am doing to change you the moment you have an accident. You can last a bit without having to worry about a rash or discomfort." The older woman just acted as if it was a simple action that was only new to the lithe woman, as opposed to the bizarre spectacle it truly was. Rukia wanted to cry after having just wet herself like that, and ironically, the only thing that stopped her was the fact that it would make her look even more childish than the soiled diaper already did.

Retsu placed the empty bottle on the endtable next to the sofa and cradled Rukia close to her body as she stood up. Rukia was quite surprised at the woman's strength, even if Rukia was quite short and thin, she was still an adult yet was being lifted as easily as the bottle had been before. Her shame at her little accident was the foremost in her mind, though, as that was not the kind of shame that one easily forgot, especially when the warmth and dampness was still quite evident. The relief from having emptied her aching bladder was lost amongst the disgrace and embarrassment of how that relief came to be. It did not matter that she was forced to use the diaper by the older woman, it still happened and no amount of rationalization could make it any less mortifying.

The young woman was carried back into the guest bedroom and placed gently on the bed, left to sit while Retsu laid out the same towel on the floor as earlier. She wasted no time in lifting Rukia and resting her down on it, as if the three foot distance was hard for her to navigate. Retsu adjusted Rukia's shirt so that it was pushed up her body, presumably preventing it from impeding her from the task that the petite woman did not want to imagine was happening. Retsu knelt down as before and reached over, gripping one of the tapes of the diaper and pulling it off slowly, making it seem as loud as a jet engine, at least in the mind of Rukia. It was clearly deliberate, stretching out each rip of the tape to exacerbate the absurdity of the situation.

After what seemed like hours, the fourth and final tape was undone, leaving the garment only covering her privates by the act of gravity. Unohana wasted no time here, flipping the front off and exposing the woman's crotch to the cool air of the room, a change that inadvertently caused her to release a small spurt of the little amount of fluid that was still in her bladder. Had it been possible to blush any deeper at that moment, she would have, but her face was already red enough to make a tomato seem white.

"Oh my, not only are you more of a heavy wetter than your little body would make one think, you still had a little left in there." Retsu teased, her voice far too saccharine to be comforting. "Well, I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to change your diapers, so I can handle it. Most of the little extra fell onto the diaper anyway." Retsu slid the used garment out from under the woman's bare behind and balled it up, dropping it into a covered trash pail on the side of the room. It was not exactly information cared about or wanted to know, but she certainly was having it drilled into her mind. Was this really her fate, to be treated in such a humiliating manner for the next few days, weeks or even months? No, that was not going to happen, even if she had no say in her treatment, she would do whatever it took to make this punishment last as short as possible, no matter how tiring.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt something cold and damp touch upon her womanhood, eliciting the second yelp of the day from her. "Sorry dear, it's just another baby wipe to clean you up." Rukia remembered the wipe from before her nap, though she had been unexpecting of it this time so the sudden cool touch made her jolt. Rukia said nothing in response and merely looked away, the feeling of her having her nude form rubbed in such a way causing the blush on her face to be there for another reason. Embarrassment was still there, but it also mixed the expected result of an adult being touched in such a way, even if that touch was for a reason such as this. Regardless of how Unohana wanted to treat her, she was still an adult and her body was going to act as if she was when the proper stimulus was known.

The powder came next once again, a further dusting of the fine talcum powder that once again sent a cloud of the aroma fluttering around her body. This time, Unohana seemed to want to rub the powder in to her skin to make sure the coverage was done adequately. It was not quite as intense as the wet wipe, but it still lent to some further embarrassment than the diaper change itself provided. Thankfully, it did not take too long to spread the powder across her privates, and while Unohana made sure to get it on her backside and thighs as well, that did not elicit the same reaction for obvious reasons.

Her behind was once again lifted off the towel, but lowered again a moment later, onto a fresh diaper. Thankfully, her behind was slightly less sore than earlier, so while it was still a bit painful for weight to be placed on it, it was not as bad as it had been, and while she hated to admit, the padding on the garment acted like a cushion to reduce the weight being applied directly. As slow as she had been in taking the previous garment off of the woman, Unohana taped the new one on quite quickly, snug and tight on the woman's form.

"There you go, all nice and clean." Retsu cooed, an act so unlike the woman that it almost made Rukia uncomfortable. Retsu looked at Rukia and raised an eyebrow, clearly awaiting for something and planning on not continuing until she got it.

"…Th-thank you…" Rukia muttered, not wanting to have to thank someone for doing something that she did not at all want.

"You're quite welcome dear" A satisfied smile grew upon the woman's countenance, no doubt satisfied more about her own ability to get Rukia to act as she wanted, no matter how embarrassing.

With no warning, the older woman once again lifted Rukia against her body, holding her padded behind in one hand while the woman's legs were split by her hip, and carried her out of the bedroom. She was placed back on the sofa, but not on anyone's lap this time. Retsu moved towards her bookshelf and picked out a rather hefty book from one of the shelves. It was red and looked quite old, its gilded pages dulled from years of use and shelving.

"I am going to give you until bedtime to read through this, whatever parts you feel are the most important." Retsu began, passing the book to Rukia, "We will begin your first lesson first thing tomorrow, so make sure you read what's important. I will not bother you until bedtime and if you need to be changed, do not come to find me, that will wait until I change you for bed, as you need all time you have the opportunity to use if you want to be successful."

Rukia nodded as she looked the leather-bound book over, some time to herself would be much appreciated after being doted on by Retsu ever since she woke up after fainting. The Captain left the room immediately after explaining the situation, though she was close enough by to know if Rukia was attempting to shirk off on her work or do something even more foolish.

The book was quite old, as it had appeared. The text was clearly done by some primitive typewriter or press of some sort, and the pages were browned and yellowed from age. The knowledge seemed normal at first, just the standards of Kido that one learned in the Shino Academy, even those with little aptitude towards the art. However, the writing was quite…obtuse, like one would expect from a book printed in a different time. It was not unreadable or incomprehensible to the Shinigami, but it certainly slowed her progress down a little bit. Even some of the illustrations and discussions of proper Kido motions and movements were outdated; Rukia was quite sure that the ones she was taught in the Academy were more efficient than the ones this book was prescribing for use. Still, if Retsu had wanted her to read this, she must have had a reason.

Hours passed as Rukia scoured the book, finally getting passed the introduction to general Kido sections that took up more of the book than expected, when she was suddenly surprised by the book closing against her will. "It's bedtime." Came the voice of Retsu, standing in front of the sofa without having been noticed. "Let's get you changed, perhaps in more ways then one, and get you into bed." Rukia had no idea she would be forced into bed so soon, she had barely scratched the surface on the beginnings of the healing aspect of Kido, and that was what she was to be trained in first thing in the morning.

"But…it's only nine o'clock!" Rukia pleaded, expecting a few more hours with the book before she was forced into bed. "Now now, little ones go to bed earlier than big girls, especially little ones still recovering from a bout of extreme exhaustion." Rukia wanted to fight, she truly did, but she also knew it would be futile. Bedtime was now, and there was little she could do about it.

She was not even surprised as Retsu rested the book on the table and was lifted into her now free arms. She was carried back into the guest once more, and placed on her feet in front of the bed. Two fingers found their way into her diaper's legband once more, eliciting a blush from the young woman, but not a full reaction as she had before. "Still dry, well then, let's get you dressed." Both of them knew that was the case before the check, but Rukia was not surprised by the unnecessary procedure, she probably would have been more shocked if Unohana just went with the clear visual evidence that the diaper had yet to be used.

Rukia's shirt was pulled from her body, made easier due to the slightly baggy nature of the garment, leaving her wearing nothing but the protective garment. She was immediately reminded of her dream, a fact that only increased the shame she felt from the whole ordeal. She said nothing as she was instructed to put her hands in the air, allowing the older woman to slide the new shirt on her body. This one was blue, with an image of Chappy the bunny on it, that drifted down further than the previous shirt, but still not enough to prevent the bottom of her diaper from poking out of the bottom, even while standing up. She had to admit it was cute, and had it been properly sized, would have been something she would wear naturally.

"There, all ready for bed." Unohana lifted the girl into the bed and tucked her in, "You have a big day tomorrow, so get some sleep. I'll leave a bottle of water on the desk here if you get thirsty, but I will know if you try to remove the lid…" Rukia had no doubt she had some method of knowing, even if she could not think of what it was.

"Good night…" Rukia mumbled, not too thrilled with having to do so.

Unohana merely smiled and left the room, turning the light off as she left. Rukia sighed and looked at the bottle, no way was she going to drink from one unless she was forced. Besides, the fewer liquids she took in, the less she would have to deal with the bathroom issues that Unohana forced upon her. Of course, as her luck would have it, her bladder sent the first signals that it was growing full as she looked at the bottle. It was not an urgent need, but it certainly would be by the time she was awoken in the morning…if she even could last that long. She was thirsty and the bladder issue was going to make itself known either way, so with a sigh, the young Shinigami grabbed the bottle off the desk and began drinking the cool water within. It was refreshing, though still embarrassing, but soon enough, Rukia began to drift off, the bottle falling out of her mouth as she fell asleep, still nervous for the coming morning.


	5. Healing

The next morning came without any odd nightmares, that she could remember anyway. What seemed to wake her up this time was the very pressing need to relieve her bladder. The bottle of water seemed to have added to the early twinges of her bladder before she fell asleep and now led to an almost bursting organ. The young woman squirmed in the bed as she decided what to do; on one hand, her bladder was aching to release and she was definitely dressed to handle it, but on the other hand, she hated being forced to do so and voluntarily wetting herself was letting Unohana win. After a few moments, potential relief won out and the girl allowed herself to release, albeit reluctantly. She gave an unintended sigh of relief as her body released the fluid, the diaper doing its job and absorbing the liquid as it spilled out of her. Moments later, Rukia finished, not wanting to admit how nice it felt to have relieved herself. It was a common feeling, of course, just never combined with this very embarrassing situation she had been forced into her, causing it to be more of a mixed feeling.

"Good morning, dear." Rukia barely had time to feel relief before Unohana slipped into the room and made her presence known.

The door had definitely been closed just a moment ago, so at least she was not there watching Rukia embarrass herself. She just had to appear now, though, she just could not have come in ten seconds earlier. Rukia had no doubt that that the woman would have forced her to use the garment anyway, but at least then she could put up some sort of show of resistance to it, as opposed to just being found with it in the morning with the diaper already well used. She did not put it passed the woman to have waited behind the door until she had some sign that Rukia had reluctantly wet herself, but there was no way to prove it.

"Sleep well?" The question pulled Rukia from her thoughts.

"Oh, um, yeah." The girl responded sheepishly.

"Good, you'll need it for the day you have ahead of you."

Unohana lifted the almost empty bottle off of the bed and placed it on the desk she had originally set it on the night before. Next came the blanket, pulled off the smaller girl before she even had a chance to attempt to futilely try to hide her soiled diaper with her hands. The garment was discolored from the accident it had absorbed, sagging on the bottom with the extra weight it was carrying. It did a good job with odor control, however, the acrid smell of urine not noticeable in the air even when searching for it.

"Oh my, it looks like someone should be glad that she wore her diapers to bed." Unohana cooed in somewhat of a mocking tone.

"It isn't like that! I-I just woke up and had to go!" Rukia knew she had fallen into the trap the moment the words left her mouth, but there was no stopping her, her pride had certainly taken a hit in the past few days but it was still strong enough to react when she was accused of wetting the bed.

"So you wet yourself on purpose, then?" The question was clearly a trap, but Rukia's pride intervened once more and forced her to reach for the bait.

"W-well…I had to go and I know you wouldn't let use the toilet." Her response was weak, no power behind the words.

"You could have come and got me if you needed to. I would not have let you use the potty, but it still would have been a show of control on your part." Still nothing, what would have been the point then? The question flittered through her mind, ready and waiting to be asked. "Besides, if had to had to go so bad that you relieved yourself right after you woke up, is that not functionally the same as wetting the bed anyway?" Retsu's question hung in the air like a pungent odor, waiting to be argued against.

Rukia had no idea how she could win this battle; even if she had the logic to win, which she was honestly not sure that she did, Unohana was just too good at these mind games to defeat, plus her current authoritarian position made it all the more difficult to argue with. Instead, Rukia merely ended the argument in the only way she could at the moment, crossing her arms over her chest and making a "hmmph" sound. It was entirely a concession, as much as she had not meant it to, but Retsu certainly smiled as she saw it.

"With that behind us, let's get you changed." She spoke with the clear words of someone who wanted the other to know that they had lost. With a soft smile that managed to hold as much smugness as it could without being an outright smirk, the older woman gently pushed her charge back flat on the bed and began changing her diaper. Rukia tried to be less humiliated, knowing that this punishment was going to last awhile and thus she would have her diapers changed countless times while here, but it was just not happening. Embarrassment was too deeply entrenched in her subconscious; it would take a lot not to be embarrassed by wetting herself in front of, being seen naked, getting cleaned up and being changed into a diaper by someone she knew. Perhaps a few weeks of it would lessen the humiliation, but that was not exactly a pleasant thought for her to focus on.

With a fresh diaper, the smell of baby powder still lingering in the air, Unohana helped Rukia off the bed and pulled an outfit out of the dresser next to the bed. The younger woman was actually surprised to see that instead of some cutesy outfit, she was actually holding her Shihakusho, minus her white gloves, the standard Shinigami outfit, folded up and with Lieutenant's badge resting on the top. Surprised, and thankful. The loose clothing would be great at hiding the bulk caused by her diaper and was not at all embarrassing if they were to be out in the public of the Seireitei. Although, perhaps that was the only reason that she was allowed this simple outfit, it was expected of all officers to wear theirs when on duty, which applied to the excuse Unohana had used to get Rukia temporarily out of her Lieutenant responsibilities for the sake of this punishment.

Retsu helped Rukia into the Shihakusho, as if the young Shinigami had never put one on herself before, and ushered her out of the bedroom. Once in the living room, Unohana pointed to the kitchen, where Rukia saw what appeared to be breakfast sitting on the table. "You go eat, you'll need your strength for today. I'll be back in just a few minutes."

Retsu gave no time for questioning, immediately turning around and walking towards the master bedroom. Not wanting to anger her unwanted caretaker, Rukia made her way to the kitchen and sat down at the table in front of her meal, a bowl of steamed rice and, of course, a bottle of milk. A sigh escaped her lips but she sat down anyway, slowly picking at her food. Nerves were preventing her from being too hungry, but she knew that Unohana would never accept her not eating before a day of training.

Desiring to finish before Retsu returned from her room, Rukia forced the food down her throat. It was actually quite good, but her nervous stomach still made it somewhat of a struggle to get down. Hesitation gripped her for just a moment, but she put the bottle to her lips as the Captain had wanted, taking notice of the cool, quenching colloid inside. She suckled slowly, even if Retsu came back before she had finished, she would at least be able to show her that reluctance that had not been evident earlier when it came to her supposed bedwetting. As if on cue, Retsu stepped into the kitchen, wearing her own Shihakusho, as well as her haori, a white overcloak, that denoted her Captaincy.

"When you're all done, we'll head out." Retsu spoke.

"Oh, well, I'm done no-" Rukia stopped as she saw the look on Unohana's face.

She did not mean when Rukia decided she was done, her face clearly told the young woman that they would leave when the bottle was empty and no sooner. It took just a short glance for Rukia to pop the bottle back into her mouth, continuing to suckle until all the milk was gone. The bowl was placed in the sink, the bottle on the counter next to it, and Rukia herself returned to Unohana's side. The Captain merely nodded as she headed for the door. As they headed out, Unohana slipped some sort of pack around her shoulders, larger than any purse would be. Rukia had no idea what it was for, but she did not ask, either.

Rukia could not help but be nervous as she walked out the door, despite the normal outwards appearance of the situation, there was nothing embarrassing about who she was with or what she was wearing (on the outside, anyway), but in her mind she might as well have been led by the hand wearing nothing but her diaper. They did not seem to pass anyone she recognized off hand, just numerous Fourth Divisioners who gave their greetings and respects to their Captain as she passed by, leading towards other Shinigami as they entered the Seireitei proper.

They passed by many buildings, some recognized, some not. Eventually, they reached what Rukia recognized as a training facility and was ushered in behind the Captain. As a military society, these training facilities were numerous and treated with importance, spread throughout the Seireitei. They were used either in groups or for one-on-one training, depending on the need, and it usually took the clout of the Captain Commander himself to reserve one for the day on such short notice. Rukia had no doubt that Retsu could convince the staff to slot her in today if she "asked" them, Rukia would not like to know the fate of anyone who would have denied her. Her still slightly sore behind became noticeable as her thoughts came to her, reminding her of the mercy she had been given by the wrathful woman.

The staff members confirmed the reservation and quickly evacuated the premises, quite a few doing so in a rush that spoke to their fear of the woman who had made the reservation. After they left, Unohana locked each of the entrances so they would not be disturbed and led Rukia into the center of the area. All the equipment had been moved, leaving nothing but three dummies propped up in the center of the large room, with a large box a short distance away. As they approached, she realized that they were less like dummies and more like life-size stuffed sack dolls, mostly humanoid in shape. It was…odd looking, but mostly just made her wonder how they tied into her healing arts training.

"Now then, tell me the basics of how healing Kido works." Retsu commanded, placing her bag next to that large container.

"The healer places their own Reiatsu into the subject, allowing it to mix with their own Reiatsu and help jumpstart and speed up the body's own healing regimen." Rukia began, remembering the information from the book she had read, "The healer must then guide the recreation and distribution of cells, sinew, tissue and muscle to heal the body correctly. For these reasons, a person cannot heal their own bodies, special abilities notwithstanding, and no healing Kido should be performed on a living person without the proper training, even if the ideas and theories are known well."

"Very good, that last part specifically applies to you in this situation." Retsu advised, "The healing arts are exceptionally dangerous but also incredibly helpful when used correctly. Now, I want you to draw your sword."

Rukia was a bit confused at what her Zanpakuto had to do with this training; it certainly was not a healing-type or even a Kido-type zanpakuto. She listened to her teacher's command, of course, she trusted and feared her enough not to question something that would certainly be answered naturally in just a short while. She held the sword in front of her, a combat ready position, waiting for the next order from Retsu.

"Now, I want you to perform one strike against this puppet, in such a way that I am unable to heal it." Retsu ordered, stepping next to the leftmost dummy.

Rukia thought about it for a moment and decided on her one strike, a simple but effective measure. The Shinigami ran towards the puppet and impaled her blade in what would be its stomach and out through the back. As she pulled the blade back out, she was momentarily shocked to see what appeared at first glance to be blood pouring out from the open wound. However, it was not blood, nor was it even a liquid: it was crimson sand, fine grain crimson sand. Unohana smiled and walked up to the dummy, placing one hand on each of the wounds on the puppet, removing them just a moment later to show that the canvas "flesh" had been healed as if never impaled by her sword, outside of the small pile of sand accumulated on the ground.

"Hmm, well, you hit it at least…Not much of a lasting wound though. He barely lost any blood." Retsu chided, "But no matter, attempt number two."

She moved to stand closer to the second dummy, awaiting Rukia's attack. The girl steadied herself and ran at the new puppet, this time going for a more deadly blow by separating its head from its neck. Retsu moved quickly, ignoring the spray of red sand as she quickly set the head back against the body and healed the wound as if it were a minor one. There was certainly more sand on the ground this time, the canvas head of the puppet was somewhat sagging inward on the top from the lack of sand for support, but it was still a failure.

"Better, but that will not be enough to pass this test. You have one last try."

Rukia nodded, determined not to fail this round. Her final strike was a significant one, bisecting the dummy vertically. Rukia smirked as her eyes gazed upon the sand in the two halves of the puppet, convinced that there was no way for Unohana to fix that wound before losing enough of the crimson grains to constitute death. But how wrong she was; Retsu was fast, able to catch each half of the dummy and pull them back towards one another, before they barely had a chance to separate. Her hands moved faster than could be followed with the naked eye, leaving the fully healed puppet propped as if nothing had happened. It had lost even more sand than the second one, enough for its head to almost cave in, but she had still failed for the third time.

"Sorry, it was a good attempt, but not enough." Retsu spoke.

"Then tell me how I could have succeeded." Rukia pleaded, annoyed at her own inability.

"You could not have."

"What!? B-but-"

"As you can see, even when sliced in twain, I was able to heal the puppets before they even lost a fraction of what was necessary to count as death. That's because the healing arts are incredibly potent and powerful. In this manner, they could not have been outdone by your offensive performance."

"But…people still die in the field, even when there are medics nearby…"

"Exactly." A smile appeared on Retsu's face, as if she had wanted to discuss this. "That is because the human body is not made of just a single layer of a special material." She began, "The human body is layers upon layers of flesh and muscle and sinew and blood vessels and such, it is a thousand times more complex than this simple canvas material."

As she spoke, Retsu began to move towards the box from earlier, yanking the tarp off with a quick tug. The box was a container of some sort, a wooden box latched closed with metal clasps. Retsu reached inside after opening it and pulled out a square sheet of what appeared to be the same canvas material that the dummies were made out of. It was at least six feet long on each side, quite a bit taller than either of the two women, though Rukia especially. A sudden flash of white and black and two halves of the sheet drifted to the floor, having been sliced somewhat diagonally by the older Shinigami.

"This is a special material that can be healed in the same manner our cells can." Retsu spoke, sliding her zanpakuto back into its sheath. "Use what you read to try and fix this sheet so that it returns to its pre-spliced condition. I shall watch from right here."

Rukia nodded and made her way over towards the two sheets of fabric. After rearranging them such that they lined back up, Rukia kneeled in front and began to think of all that she had read the day before; the aspects of Reiatsu and its flow, the importance of focus and control, all the information that she could remember. With a deep breath, the young woman felt the energy in her hands, much as she had a myriad of times before upon casting a kido spell. Now it was with the intent to heal, instead of destroy, however, a much gentler flow of energy was required, at least for the moment. Her mind was clear, empty of idle thoughts, just focused on the healing energies coursing through her palms. With her hands on the canvas, Rukia could feel the threads of the material, the edges searching for the edge of what had been severed by the blade. Her hands were to act as a conduit, routing the energy from one side to the other with enough precision to connect the sheets.

"Very good, feel the flow of Reiatsu in your body and out into the material." Unohana spoke in a gentle tone, not wanting to disturb her pupil.

Rukia was glad for the advice and vote of confidence, but the moment she placed her hands fully on the material, she realized just how difficult healing truly was. All those connections she felt between the fabrics immediately pulled and yearned for the Reiatsu leaking through Rukia's hands, nearly uncontrollably. Within a moment, the section of material below her hands reconnected as the energy surged through, though the connection was anything but clean, by the time she was done with that small section, it was…sloppy, to say the least. Bulges and shifted connections peppered the space of a few inches, a vast erring in her practice of the skill.

"No, not like that." Her dismissal was blunt, but unfortunately accurate, "Had you done this to the injury of a comrade, they would have significant injuries and lasting problems."

Rukia did not respond, she knew that the woman was correct in her judgment of the first attempt, but it was also just that, a first attempt. No one got it perfect on the first try, not even Captain Unohana. Had this method existed back then, she imagined that Retsu would have made the same mistakes or at least similar ones. Still though, the young woman refocused her energies, this time expecting the feeling that imparting her Reiatsu had when she made contact. Still though, even expecting the stimulus was not the same as being able to control it, and while the second patch of healing went better than the first, it was still an incorrectly healed mess of canvas fringe.

The young Shinigami continued like this for hours, Unohana slicing the sheet again whenever she needed to. Her progress was slow but steady, working on bettering her form with each attempt. After who knows how long, Rukia began to have a familiar issue, one that was impeding her attempt at clearing her mind of outside distractions, she had to relieve herself. However, after her next better but nowhere near good enough attempt, Retsu spoke up again, but not with the advice of a teacher, as before.

"I believe it is time to break for lunch and a change, if necessary." Retsu did not give Rukia time to answering, merely pressing her hand against the front of the young woman's outfit. "Hmm, seems dry. Well, dry enough to not be noticeably damp, I suppose is more accurate."

"Not wet at all…" Rukia mumbled in response, not mentioning that she had to go pretty badly at the moment.

Retsu must have heard her murmuring, but she said nothing in response, merely going over towards that bag that she had brought with her and pulled a small plastic container out of it as well as a piece of blue colored fabric. It was a bib, as she found out when the older woman tied it around her neck. As for the container, that was actually a bowl of apple sauce. She sighed, but knew there was no other recourse available at the moment, in just part of her life now. Her mouth was opened wide, awaiting the first spoonful of applesauce to be slid into it. While she was indeed fed the gooey nectar mush, she also ended up with a decent amount on her chin and bib, through no fault of her own. It was clear that Unohana wanted to embarrass her by pretending she had trouble eating on her own, but she said nothing, lest she invoke an escalation in the woman's ideas.

"Oh my, someone's a messy eater." Retsu cooed in a tone not commonplace to her.

With her mouth and chin wiped clean with the bib, Rukia was quickly shuffled closely towards the other woman and shifted onto her lap. She knew what was coming, evidenced by the blush on her face as the bottle was held out in Unohana's arm. It was not milk this time, though, it looked more like apple juice than anything. She did not want to admit her thirst to the woman in case she decided she needed more than one bottleful of juice, but she was quite parched after her morning of training. As the plastic nipple entered the young woman's mouth, all she could think about was her bladder straining to hold on despite the futility of the situation. Her mouth worked nearly on its own volition, the rhythmic suckling rewarding her with juice a little warmer than she would have liked but still quite refreshing. However, the momentary distraction caused her bladder to leak a small spurt into the waiting diaper, barely enough to even be noticed. As there seemed to be little point in holding it to the point of bursting, Rukia decided to just release her bladder, feeling her padding grow warm and slightly damp as it absorbed the fluid spilling out of her. By the time her bladder was empty, so was the bottle of juice she had been nursing on, the nipple being removed from her lips.

"Let's get some gas out of your tummy and then I believe you need a new diaper."

Rukia could hardly believe it, somehow her teacher had recognized that she had used her diaper during the bottle feeding, even though it was under her loose outfit. It was quite humiliating, even though it had been expected, nay, demanded that the she used her diapers for the foreseeable future. Even as a gentle hand patted her on the back, all she could think about was the fact that to Retsu, it might as well have looked like she had no bladder control. She understood that the woman knew that was not the truth, but it would seem like it might as well be the case if she were to do it so casually without saying anything or giving any indication that she was or had just finished wetting herself. Eventually, Rukia found the gas in her stomach and released a burp from inside, enough to placate the older woman's ridiculous demands.

"There we go, now for your change." Retsu reached for the bag again, opening it further to reveal it stocked with multiple diapers, a canister of baby powder and a pack of wipes. Of course it was a diaper bag…it seemed obvious to Rukia now, though that did not do anything for the hit her pride took upon learning she was being touted around by someone with a diaper bag meant for her.

It was quite…nerve-wracking to have to deal with a change in such a place, as compared to the privacy of Unohana's apartment. Sure, it was protocol for the premises to be emptied when a private training session was scheduled, but Rukia was paranoid that somehow someone would stumble upon the two of them right in the middle of the change. Yet, her fears were not realized; Unohana got her out of her Shihakusho and managed to change her into a clean diaper with not a single intrusion or unwanted eye. It was still embarrassing and she hoped that it never became common enough for it not to be, but nowhere near as much as it would be if someone else saw the act in progress or even knew she was sporting the outfit that implied the act happened at all.

"Thanks…" Rukia grumbled, knowing that the Captain was not going to let her continue until she expressed gratitude, even with as much reluctance as possible.

"No problem, dear." Retsu replied, helping the petite woman into her outfit, "Go ahead and continue."

For the next few hours, Rukia continued her training on the one piece of fabric, gradually getting better and better as she got more of a handle on the control of the way the Reiatsu worked. It was tiring work, just the same as if she had been physically training to run a marathon. Sweat had begun trickling across her face, dripping onto the fabric as she attempted one of the numerous attempts to heal it. Her hands were getting harder to control, weak from fatigue, which hindered her more than normal.

"Okay, that's the last attempt for today." Retsu reached for the fabric from behind Rukia as she spoke, examining it. "This is actually not too bad a job for just one day's work. Good job, dear."

A sense of accomplishment welled up in Rukia's chest upon hearing that, her final attempt at fixing the seam was much less bulging and flat than previously, though it was still clear to the eye that there was something odd along that line. As she stood up, she was suddenly struck with a feeling of lightheadedness, though whether she had just stood up too fast or had used too much of her physical energy, she was not sure.

"Th-thanks, I did my best…" As she spoke, she nearly fell, her legs a bit weaker than she expected.

"Oh dear, it appears I let you overexert yourself today." Retsu looked legitimately concerned, reaching over to support the exhausted girl. "And after chastising you for doing the same, too. Let's get you back home for a nap, you need it."

Rukia put up no protest, even though it was the middle of the afternoon. She was worn out and a short nap sounded great right now. What she did not expect, however, was her body being lifted into the air and being placed on Retsu's back in what was basically a piggyback position. While it was nice to be carried in the state she was in, they had to walk through the public of the Seireitei like this, which was a bit awkward.

"I can walk on my own…" Rukia was not sure if that was actually true, but her pride made her state that anyway.

"Be that as it may, you need to rest." Retsu responded, grabbing her bag again and heading for the exit.

Despite her fears, there were no comments or remarks from anyone of the few people they had met on the way back. A few eyes looked their way, but, perhaps due to fear of angering Captain Unohana, they said nothing or questioned anything. It was not too uncommon for training to cause one participant to hit a point of exhaustion that they had to be carried away, but in her situation, anything that brought unwanted attention to herself was quite terrifying, lest she somehow let the existence of her padded underwear be known.

It was quite a relief as they entered the living area of Unohana's home after the short trip from the training facility. Rukia had nearly fallen asleep on Retsu's back by this point, only kept awake by the fear of an offhand comment by one of the Shinigami they passed, but they had all been smart enough not to say a word. The Captain wasted no time heading for the guest bedroom, apparently eager to get Rukia down for her much needed nap.

"Oh good, it's ready." Retsu commented as she opened the door, piquing Rukia's curiosity.

She did not have long to wait to understand what the woman was talking about; when she leaned past Retsu's head to look inside, she saw something that almost made her jaw drop to the floor…the guest bedroom had been replaced by what could only be described as an adult nursery!


	6. Insomnia

Her eyes must have been deceiving her, they just had to be. How else was she to explain what she saw? The simple guest bedroom had had all of its previous furniture replaced with furniture befitting that of a baby…a baby of adult sizes, but a baby all the same. Where the bed had been, there was now a crib, lavender in color with a snowflake bedsheet, a mobile hanging over the top. Next to it, against the wall was a new piece of furniture, one that made her cringe and blush at the same time; a changing table. She had little experience taking care of children, but it was quite clear what purpose it served, its padded top and areas full of changing supplies. It was of similar color to her crib, the padding at the top a light blueish color to match the sheets in the bed. The shelves on the bottom were stocked with fresh diapers, canisters of baby powder and packs of wipes, enough supplies to keep her behind clean, powdered and padded for weeks. The thought turned her stomach, just how long was Unohana planned to subject her to this misery, anyway?

"Wha-wha…but…how?" was all Rukia could manage to say in response to what lay before her.

"While we were out, I had a few of the Shinigami under me make some much needed renovations to make this room more appropriate for your stay." Retsu responded as if they had just switched one bed out for another or something, as opposed to the turning it into a nursery.

"But…that means this isn't a secret anymore!" The younger woman exclaimed, her bewilderment quickly shifting to fear as she learned of what had occurred.

"Do not worry, dear." Retsu calmly interjected, "There are certain…memory altering Kido to be used when necessary, in case someone stumbles on secret information they were not meant to see. I just delayed the effect until they had left. It's a bit…frowned upon to use it unless the situation is a dire one, but it had to be done."

It was truly frightening to hear how easily Retsu found it to alter a person's memory; even the relief that her shame was still a secret had been subdued by the sheer acknowledgement of the Captain's diligence and refusal to compromise, even in the face of practicality and ethics. She wanted her guest room to work as an adult nursery and did all it took to get that done in secret. She let nothing get in her way, which was pretty terrifying when this idea was extrapolated to further scenarios.

"I…I see…" Rukia mumbled, her body beginning to calm down from the fear that had overtaken her, "…Where did you even find furniture like this?" She questioned, almost afraid to learn how she went about acquiring these.

"Oh, it is easy to get a carpenter in the Rukongai to make almost anything when you are willing to pay for it." Retsu answered. "Let's get you down for a much deserved nap, you need it after all the energy you expended this morning."

Retsu had barely finished her statement by the time she had begun removing the young woman's shihakusho, folding it up and placing it to the side of the crib. There was no fighting on behalf of Rukia, she was as tired as Retsu insinuated and still in shock that her destination was a crib. She merely allowed her layered uniform to be removed one by one until she was left with naught but her diaper, a plain blue t-shirt pulled over her head just moments later.

"Good, still dry. I can put you right to bed." Retsu patted the front of Rukia's garment, as if she needed more definitive proof that it was still unused.

The side of the crib crashed into the ground with a thunderous sound, its heavy side released as Unohana unlatched the two locks. The smaller Shinigami was placed on the cushy mattress and the snowflake patterned covers were pulled over her. Normally there would be some type of argument or at least an attempt at rationalizing regarding the new piece of furniture she was supposed to sleep in, but her mouth made no words, though whether that was due to shock, fatigue or surrender, she could not say.

"Have a good nap, sweetheart." Retsu surprised the young woman by popping something into her mouth. It took but a moment for her to realize that it was a pacifier, like the bottle but with no liquid reward for the embarrassing act of suckling on it. Rukia knew better than to spit it back out, though, it was far too easy for her to do so, thus making the reprimand for doing so implied rather than needing to be said.

The lights clicked off a moment later, though it was the middle of the day so the sun was still able to shine through the windows with ease. Retsu gave the mobile above the crib a playful spin before she left the room, as if it was supposed to entertain the young adult lying inside. Rukia merely sighed and rolled onto her side away from the childish entertainment device. Not that she could profess to any level of adultness with her current diaper, crib and pacifier, but it was still not something she wanted to see at the moment.

Despite how utterly overtaken she was with fatigue, Rukia found herself unable to do anything but lay there and ruminate on the situation. Was her immediate insomnia caused by the utter shock of this new nursery, or perhaps was it the realization of just how serious Retsu was about this punishment? Sure, she was clearly not joking about it, what with her new underwear and the lack of potty privileges and all, but to replace all the guest room furniture with specially made baby furnishings and all the Kido necessary to make the ruse work was just another level entirely. It was beyond the usual effort, a dedication that made the gravity of this situation threaten to collapse onto her own sanity.

The mobile jingled quietly above her head, a reminder of how bizarre this situation truly was. Was it really so bad that she wanted to train to protect her and her comrades? Perhaps she had taken it a bit too far, sure, but did that really necessitate Retsu's reaction? The spanking was bad enough on its own, but this babying was so utterly peculiar that she could not help but wonder how it would solve anything. It would keep her in Retsu's sight all the time and forcibly dependant on the woman, but would making her a regular houseguest not offer the same thing, if a bit muted? This humiliation did not really drive home any lesson about the dangers of overworking herself, just that Unohana was not to be crossed, but she was pretty sure there was no one in the Soul Society who did not already know that.

Try as she might, she was unable to fall asleep. Her body was sore from use and exhaustion, but her mind buzzed with activity. The pacifier in her mouth did little to help matters, a constant distraction whenever her mind wandered. And worst, it served no real purpose other than furthering the embarrassment; at least the bottle from the previous night had rewarded her with water as she babyishly suckled on the rubber nipple. Not the best trade-off, but at least it was _something_.

Rukia rolled onto her side, hoping that would induce the sleep she so desperately wanted to take hold of her. It was then that she first noticed the other inhabitant of her crib, an orange stuffed rabbit about two feet tall, with floppy ears that would add another foot to its height if they were standing up straight. Her adulthood pride was fighting a battle with her more openly childish love of both plush toys and bunnies; it took all her willpower not to cuddle the non-existent life out of the thing. Instead, she merely lifted it up and thoroughly examined it, as if she had never seen a stuffed animal before. Its stomach and ears were a lighter shade of orange, its eyes two blue glass marbles.

"So, what are you imprisoned in here for?" Rukia joked, "Grand theft carrot?" Even she had to cringe at her own lame joke, though it was a nice distraction from her inability to sleep. Her words were a bit muddled due to the pacifier she knew better than to remove, but as it was just a stuffed animal she was talking to, it was not exactly that important that her words were comprehendible.

Back in the kitchen, Unohana merely smiled as she listened in on the baby monitor that the girl clearly had no idea had been hidden in her new nursery. She knew that the girl liked rabbits, but she had assumed that it would take her a bit longer to get comfortable with the one she had chosen for her. It almost made up for the fact that her charge was not using naptime for some much needed sleep. Almost.

"You're not very talkative, are you?" Rukia asked, staring at the unwavering glass eyes of the toy. "Look at me, talking to a stuffed animal, as if it were going to respond back…" She sighed, stretching her sore muscles as she laid back down against her soft pillow. She was not sure how much time had passed, but it was certainly time spent awake, even hugging the plush bunny to her body did nothing for her temporary insomnia.

"Ah, I see you're still awake." Unohana spoke, surprising the girl. "Who's your new friend?"

"O-Oh, she's…um, Chappy." The young woman replied, a blush spreading across her face. The name was an obvious choice for a bunny, but it was too appealing to ignore.

"I see, that is a cute name. Fitting, too." Retsu referred to the children's show character of the same name, though whether it was fitting because the character was also a bunny or because the show was aimed at children, Rukia could not – nor desired to – discern.

The side of the crib was lowered onto the carpeting, freeing Rukia from what might as well have been a cage. Not that she was actually free to leave, but it still felt less stifling, in any case. The covers were pulled off her body in a quick tug and Retsu glanced down at the padding between the girl's legs, clearly unused. Still though, two of her fingers slid into the legband of the garment, confirming what both of them already knew, though the slight yelp elicited by the action certainly implied that it added some more embarrassment onto the ever-growing pile.

"Still dry. Well, no matter, let's get some yummy dinner into your tummy." Hearing the Captain coo as if she was speaking to an actual toddler was so…odd. She had heard the nickname of "Captain Mom" given behind the woman's back by various Shinigami, though never anywhere close to someone who would tell Retsu of said nickname, but to hear her speak in such a motherly way seemed so strange and unlike her all the same.

Without a chance to say anything, Rukia was lifted out of the crib and against Retsu's body, Chappy left to dangle by its arm in Rukia's grip. She had not exactly meant to take it with her, but she had been lifted so suddenly that she did not have a chance to leave the toy behind. Now that she was off the ground, dropping it just seemed rude, even though it was just a stuffed animal and the drop was just a couple of feet. The Captain used one arm to support Rukia's padded backside against the woman's waist, while the other wrapped around the girl's back, Rukia's arms around Retsu's shoulders and neck. The position caused Rukia to blush, not just because it was the way one might carry a large child, but also because of the way her body was being lightly pressed against the woman's much more mature bosom. Even through the woman's thick, soft robe, it was quite noticeable against her own petite body.

Out of the guest bedroom and into the kitchen, where there was a large high chair waiting for her, because of course there was. The tray was open, awaiting the woman who certainly did not want to be placed in it. But, despite her unspoken qualms, her padded behind was removed from Unohana's embrace and seated down anyway. She shifted her arms such that Chappy was able to sit immediately in front of her body in the seat, coming up just past her chest. The tray was closed a moment later, not giving her enough time to lift her arms up to allow their freedom. As the tray clicked into place, she realized that that was the plan, it was tight enough to keep her arms from being able to slip through, but not enough to be uncomfortably squeezing. Retsu could only let out a small, quiet laugh at her houseguest's struggle, an adorably futile attempt to escape the inevitable.

"Don't fuss, sweetie, your food will be ready soon." They both knew that was not the cause of her struggle, so it was clear that the intent was to be condescending, even if it was not outright stated.

A few moments later, Retsu transferred the bowls of food that she had prepared to the tray of the high chair, though it was certainly not what she had expected. Instead of a standard meal, she was looking at a bowl of macaroni and cheese, a bowl of apple sauce and a plate of chicken cut up into bite-size pieces. Not exactly the most adult meal, but a lot less surprising than it would have been a few days ago. However, Retsu had not left any utensils for her, not that she could use them with her arms pinned down, but the lack still annoyed her. Though, that paled in comparison to what came next; a quick flash of motion and suddenly Retsu had done…something. Rukia glanced down and saw a new garment adorning her chest, a cloth piece of fabric that was yellow and rounded at the bottom, adorned with embroidered ducks and tied around her neck: a bib. She sighed, but said nothing else about the item; it was just too pointless to argue over something minor anymore, when it would not lead to anything changing.

It was just as unavoidable as the growing need to relieve her bladder, getting to the point of being uncomfortable. She had first recognized it when she was being carried back from training, but it was not so significant then. Even if she was going to be forced to use her diapers, she was not going to do so at the first instant that she felt her bladder tug at her, she was adamant towards holding on to it as long as she reasonably could, at least for her pride's sake if nothing else. But by now, after her failed nap, it was starting to reach that point. It was a tough decision to just allow one's bladder to release while still clothed, even if diapered, but she might as well get it over with and get the humiliating change out of the way as soon as possible. A sigh of relief escaper her lips as she flooded the waiting garment, feeling a relaxing yet embarrassing warmth around her waist. She had done this a few times now, yet it was never any less embarrassing, though she supposed that reaching a point where it was not embarrassing for her to wet herself was not exactly ideal, either. The diaper expanded and became discolored from the accident, very much visible to Unohana even though the girl was sitting in a highchair. The warmth was not unpleasant, but the context of its existence was not exactly comforting.

"U-Um…b-before I eat, I…um…need a change…" Rukia mumbled, her face more and more resembling a tomato as she tried to let her caretaker know.

"I'm sorry, what was that, dear? I couldn't make that out." Rukia knew she was lying, but she was not exactly in a situation to call her out on it.

"I, um, need a change…" Rukia managed to get out, a bit more clear than before.

"Sorry, what was that?" The smile told Rukia everything, no matter how nice and inconspicuous the smile appeared, it was certainly proof that Retsu was just trying to get Rukia to admit it outright.

"I need a change…" She managed to mutter.

"A change of what, dear?" Retsu's faux-ignorance was only making Rukia more humiliated.

"My diaper…" She managed to squeak out, hating to recognize the existence of the garment.

"What about it?" Retsu continued her smile, asking happily as if she did not notice Rukia's growing mortification.

"It...my diaper needs to be changed…" Her shame was overwhelming, but she had finally gotten it out. It would be worth it to get into a fresh diaper before the current one started to cool off and became uncomfortable as well as more embarrassing.

"And why's that?" Now she was just being evil, it seemed.

"Because it's used…" Some of the embarrassment from Rukia switched to anger, but her face had already been so red that there was no way to tell that.

"Hmm? Used? How so?" The woman questioned, knowing full well what the answer was.

"I…wet myself…"

"You did what now?"

"…I…I…peed myself…" Rukia mumbled, her face red-hot with shame and embarrassment. Rukia saw the woman's eyebrow raise, as if she was still confused about what she meant, but then she realized the significance of what Retsu was trying to push her towards. "I…peed my diaper and need to be changed…." It was perhaps the most humiliating sentence she had ever uttered, and she could not think of anything more embarrassing that could be stated between adults. Not that she felt like much of an adult at the moment, but she had to hold on to the idea that she was, lest she fall into Unohana's game.

"Oh, well why did you not just say so, dear?" Retsu cooed, eliciting a glare from the diapered girl, "I'm sure it can wait, though, you should eat to keep your strength up."

Rukia said nothing, merely blinked and stared at the woman. She had just put her through that ordeal, bringing forth every iota of embarrassment she could squeeze out of the scenario, and did not even plan on changing her right away? Had she known that, she probably would have just waited until Retsu had checked on her own, like she was wont to do. Though that would lead to embarrassment of its own, as she was sure Unohana would use that situation to tease the girl and suggest she did not know that she had wet herself. Probably still not as embarrassing as having to be led down an unnecessary method of letting the woman know, but humiliating all the same.

Humming a simple tune as she moved across the kitchen, Unohana very cheerily picked up a few utensils and headed back over to the defeated girl. The first Rukia saw was a small plastic spoon, bright pink in color and clearly meant to be used for a baby, not that she was surprised by this point. Her pacifier was finally removed from her lips, placed in the sink presumably to be cleaned later, probably so she could use it all the more often. Unohana started by scooping up a bit of the apple sauce and brought it towards Rukia's mouth, waving it back and forth a bit as if she was dangling a piece of string in front of a cat.

"Open up for your yummy food, dear~" Unohana cooed, poking the spoon against the girl's lips.

Rukia sighed, but opened her mouth anyway. She was far too defeated to bother arguing or fighting against her meal. She was hungry, anyway, so she might as well accept the food, however it was being presented to her. She liked apple sauce, so the mashed fruit slid into her mouth was not the worst thing ever. What was much more annoying, however, was the fact that she had apple sauce smeared around her lips, as if aiming a spoon was a herculean task instead of a triviality. It must have been done purposefully, but the young woman said nothing as she felt a few drops of apple sauce fall off her chin and onto her bib. Alternating between apple sauce and macaroni and cheese, Unohana fed the woman, getting more food on her face and bib than in her mouth. Soon the two bowls of food was done, the spoon placed on the tray now that it was no longer of use. However, the fork was picked up almost immediately, speared into the first piece of chicken. Rukia ate the bird chunks as they were fed to her, grateful that they were not able to cause the mess that the other two foods were, which might have been why the pace she was fed had increased to a more natural rhythm. It took just a few minutes for the plate to be emptied of the chicken bites, leaving a full, satisfied girl who also looked like she ate her food with only her face.

"You are quite a messy eater, but at least you ate some of your meal, dear." Retsu teased, releasing a simple laugh that was somehow more condescending than her words. It was not an outwardly cruel, derisive laugh, it would sound to anyone else like a cheery laugh, but Rukia could discern the intentions behind it, able to recognize the shame she was supposed to feel from the whole situation.

"Can I get changed now…?" Rukia muttered, trying not to focus on the indignity she had been forced to suffer.

"Soon" was the only response she received, finding her face rubbed somewhat clean by the also dirtied bib, until she could at least recognize there was no food still dripping off of it. Thankfully, the tray was lifted off her just a moment later, the sullied bib crumpled and tossed onto the counter. Rukia knew better than to try to get down on her own, allowing Unohana to lift her and Chappy into her embrace. However, instead of heading towards the guest bedroom, Retsu carried the girl into the living area and sat on the couch. Rukia had a feeling she knew what was coming, but still sighed when she saw the bottle pulled out of the woman's sleeve. It appeared to be apple juice this time, as opposed to milk, but the container was the more important issue here.

Her body was shifted on Retsu's lap, such that her sodden behind was on the woman's lap, her tummy supporting Chappy as she laid against the older woman's body, uneagerly awaiting the drink she was not thrilled was coming. The nipple was popped into her mouth, basically the same as the pacifier she had recently had removed after a stint of a few hours betwixt her lips, though this time she was at least rewarded with the sweet nectar of apple juice. Her diaper was becoming more uncomfortable as it cooled, the warmth that was merely embarrassing before was now uncomfortable, clammy and even more embarrassing than before. By the time she had finished suckling the juice inside, the diaper had gotten to the point where she was nearly ready to beg for a change, instead of waiting for Unohana to get to it on her own.

"There you go, all gone." Retsu cooed, shifting the young woman so that her face was over her shoulder. Rukia knew what was required of her, but still did not appreciate the gentle smacks to her back that were an attempt to elicit some gas, or at least attempt to appear like it. After a few smacks, Rukia managed to work a small burp up in her stomach, though the release of the gas bubble was louder and more of a belch than she intended. "Perfect, you must have enjoyed that bottle of juice quite a lot, huh?" Rukia stayed silent, not wanting to give Retsu the satisfaction of acknowledging that burp.

"Can I get changed now…?" Rukia questioned again, trying not to look Unohana in the eyes as she asked.

"Hmm…" Retsu responded, clearly just pretending to be deep in thought. She shifted Rukia away from her shoulder, letting the girl sit on her knee. Before Rukia had a chance to question it, Retsu began shifting her knee up and down, bouncing the young woman as if she was as light as an actual toddler. Each bounce accompanied by a crinkle, creating a cacophony of rustling material, though the wetness that was quite obvious upon each bounce was dulling the crinkling by a decent degree.

"Yes, I suppose we should get you cleaned up now, huh?" Retsu finally stated, causing Rukia to smile for the first time in awhile, though she quickly realized what was making her happy and brought her face back to a more annoyed state, as it had been since she had been introduced to this new lifestyle of hers.

The woman lifted the shorter woman back into her arms, but instead of walking towards the guest bedroom, she went the opposite direction. Before Rukia had a chance to question where they were going now, she was carried into the bathroom of the home, a place she realized that she had not seen for days. Not this specific bathroom, of course, but any bathroom at all. Just seeing the toilet made her all the more aware of the very used diaper pressing up against her flesh. As if to taunt her more, Retsu sat her down on the closed lid of the porcelain throne, giving her a look that told her not to get up.

The squealing of metal followed by the rush of flowing water filled the small room, the bathtub slowly filling with the clear liquid. Rukia had to admit, a bath would be most welcome right about now, she had not had one since she had woken up from her unconscious state. Still though, there had to be some kind of catch, knowing Unohana, or, at least, knowing this woman using that name and appearance that had been shaming her for the past few days. Before this, she never would have thought the woman was capable or willing to do such a thing, even with her legendary reputation. The time seemed to pass slowly as the tub filled, the woman continually checking and adjusting the knobs to presumably reach the desired temperature.

"I did say you were going to get cleaned up now, did I not?" Unohana replied to the query that had been unasked, turning off the spigots when the tub reached the appropriate level.

Retsu picked Rukia up by her armpits and stood the young woman up on the tiled floor, making sure she let go of Chappy so it could stay seated on the toilet seat. It was the first time since she had been training earlier that day that she had been allowed to stand up on her own volition, as opposed to being carried everywhere. It was a nice bit of control she had thought had vanished with the emergence of her nursery, at least when in the wall's of Unohana's house; she was allowed some independence when outside in the Seireitei, however short that time was.

Her used diaper sagged dangerously from the rapidly cooling liquid it was holding back, threatening to slide down Rukia's thin legs. It hung like a water balloon over a balcony, ready to be dropped on an unsuspecting individual at any moment. Unohana reached down and undid one of the tapes on the left and that was all it took to cause the garment to slide to the floor with a wet plop. Her face immediately went red, wishing for the first time that she had been assaulted with a cacophony of crinkles instead of that even more humiliating sound. Her shirt was pulled off immediately afterwards, her hands moving to cover her exposed nudity as quickly as she could get them to. Unohana balled the used diaper up and dropped it into the small trash can next to the toilet, giggling as she saw Rukia attempt to hide her nudity.

"No need to be modest, dear. I have changed your diapers, you know." Retsu joked, moving Rukia's hands away from their covering positions. It was not quite the normal usage of that clichéd line from the woman, but that somehow made its meaning all the more true, even if Rukia did not want to admit it.

Rukia found herself swept up off the floor and gently placed into the warm waters of the bath. It was no hot spring, but it was comfortable all the same. She stretched her legs, relaxing into the water. It really was quite nice to be able to just relax in a nice, tepid bath again, it was one of the things she had taken for granted when she was able to live as an adult, up there with using the toilet and not sleeping in a glorified cage.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of fabric pooling onto the tiled floor. She turned to look and saw Unohana, her plush robe lying discarded on the floor. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the woman, her underwear on full display. They were deep blue in color, much more mature and adult than any of her own underwear, even when she had been able to choose and wear her own. Her own panties might as well have been diapers for how immature they looked compared to the lacy kind that Unohana was currently sporting. The woman also released her hair tie, allowing her long raven hair to cascade across her back instead of being tied up in the front, as free as if her locks had never been tied in that large braided ponytail at all. This only made it all the more shocking when the woman proceeded to unclasp her bra and bare her sizable bosom. Rukia was too much in shock to say anything, that feeling only growing when the woman proceeded to do the next logical step and slide her underwear down her shapely legs. Fully nude, Retsu looked up and saw the astonished look on the smaller woman's face.

"Is something wrong, dear?" Retsu queried, not losing that smile she had honed for so long.

"I-I…n-no…" Rukia stammered, unable to look away from the woman's curvaceous body.

"I need to bathe, too, dear. It is next to impossible to get time to oneself when taking care of a baby." She spoke as if she had been just been referring to Rukia herself as the baby in need of taking care of, as if she could not be trusted to not get in trouble when being left by herself. "Is this embarrassing you? You have been to the public bathhouses before, have you not?"

"W-well, yes…but…" There was no end to that sentence, the woman's logic held up just fine. She had seen any number of her female friends and coworkers in the buff before, but that was in a somewhat public situation, not this intimate, private scenario that was just the two of them and a bathtub. It was not even a very large bathtub, at that. It was enough to fit the two of them, sure, but it would be a bit of a tight fit, at the very least.

Retsu, taking Rukia's silence as a sign that she had no more arguments to express, walked over to the tub and slid into the water next to the embarrassed young woman. The level of water in the tub rose much more with her entrance than it did for Rukia, a fact the younger Shinigami was quick to notice. It was hard, nay impossible, not to stare at the nude body next to her, both due to awe and embarrassment. Despite all the babying and the bottlefeeding and the nursery and the diaper wearing, using and changing, Rukia had never felt more infantile than she did now, with her petite body right next to the curvaceous woman who had been the one performing all those tasks for her, repeatedly comparing the two of them in her mind.

Unohana seemed to be worrying less about that, though why should she, she was the one with the mature body, after all, and more about actually treating this as a bath. Not willing to let Rukia do basically anything for herself, Retsu began spreading body wash on Rukia's form, lathering her own up after wards. The water washed the sudsy buildup away, leaving a pleasant flowery scent lingering in the air. Unohana wasted no time in washing her charge's hair, of course using some fruity-smelling no-tears shampoo advertised for children. Rukia had nothing to say about the shampoo, though, in a battle of indignities, this came nowhere close to measuring up. After her own hair was shampooed and conditioned with a more appropriately adult product, Unohana opened the drain and allowed the water to begin its decent.

"All clean~" The gorgeous Shinigami crooned, standing up and allowing the water to stream down her bare body. She stepped out of the tub and lifted the still bright red young woman with her, holding her against her body with one arm while she grabbed a few towels with the other. Of course Rukia was not allowed to dry herself off, that would just be too simple and dignified for Retsu to allow.

With both of them as dry as they were going to get for now, Unohana put her robe back on sans underwear, allowing her hair to remain outside of her usual braid, free to cascade down her back. Rukia herself was not even given that dignity, merely given Chappy to hold onto once more, her otherwise still nude body held against the plush robe. Her behind was supported by Retsu's hand, a fact that made her blush. Despite the fact that this woman had seen her naked, changed her diapers and just bathed her, it still embarrassed her to have her bare butt held by her. Despite her current state of undress, she was carried out of the bathroom, not even given her shirt to put back on. She understood why she had no bottoms, as much as she did not like it, her diaper had been rightfully thrown away and there had been no spares in the bathroom for her to be changed into. But there was no reason she could not be put back into that shirt, other than the desire to embarrass her.

"I think it is bedtime for you, little one." Retsu suddenly spoke, walking the two of them into the nursery.

Rukia sighed both at the proclamation and the sight of the rearranged bedroom, but also said nothing else in response. Retsu smiled, as if that sigh was a show of acceptance and not annoyance, and gently placed Rukia on the changing table. It was the first time she had used the new piece of furniture, and she found it to be less comfortable than the bed, its padding not as soft as the plush mattress of the bed turned crib. Of course, more importantly, it was only designed for her to get her diaper changes upon it as well as to store the supplies needed for said changes, which was a bit more important than the minor difference in comfort.

Chappy was pushed up further along her body by the older woman, so that she could go about the change properly without it getting in the way. Rukia responded by clutching the plush toy tighter, her only friend in this continually awkward situation. Retsu skipped the wiping this time, the bath doing that job for her, though she seemed to make up for having to skip a step by using more baby powder than normal and doing a more thorough job of spreading it around and rubbing it in. Rukia felt her behind lifted off the table, a crinkling sound alerting her to the garment being slid along the table under her. A moment later she was laid back down, the garment taped snugly around her lower body. Something felt different about it, but she could not make out what it was.

"All done, sweetie. Wait there while I get your pajamas." Retsu cooed, patting the front of the diaper as she was wont to do.

Rukia sat up into position, wondering idly whether she would have rather remained naked or have been put into the humiliating protective garment. Her rhetorical thoughts went unanswered, as she realized once again that something was wrong with the diaper. For one, her legs were much harder to close, bowed out from the bulk of the garment. That was certainly not the case earlier, causing her to move Chappy away so she could look down at the diaper she had been given. The shock nearly caused her to fall off of the padded table; instead of the simple diapers she had been wearing up till now, the one she had been placed in was significantly thicker and worse of all, was decorated in little bunny patterns, which, while cute, were more appropriate for a diaper designed for babies, not one for simple incontinence. Her earlier briefs were the ones used in a hospital, functional but simple. This, however, was like wearing three of those, one over the other, with an infantile paint job.

Where did the Captain even get these things, anyway? What purpose could there be in such infantile diapers in this size? Even with her short, thin stature, she probably could not fit into a diaper for a baby, but even on the off chance that she could, it would definitely not be the bulky behemoth that this was. Her thoughts were interrupted as a garment of clothing was slipped over her head, temporarily shutting off the world from her eyes. But soon enough, her head poked through the top, greeted with the overly cheery face of her tormenter and caretaker.

"Cute, are they not?" Retsu cooed, adjusting Rukia's hair to fix it after the shirt had mussed it up a bit, "I know how much my little one loves bunnies."

It was so sickeningly sweet, but Rukia said nothing in response, there was nothing she could say that would not just make the situation worse. Besides, if her diaper had to be covered in babyish designs, she had to reluctantly admit that she would take bunnies over most anything else. With the shirt on, Retsu helped Rukia off the changing table, but instead of placing her in the crib, she actually had her stand on the floor, though it was not easy with the much increased bulk pushing her legs apart. She tried to take a few steps to get used to it, but they were more like a waddle than actual walking, as much as it annoyed her to put on such a show in front of her caretaker.

"How cute~" Retsu giggled as she watched the shorter woman, looking as if she was learning to walk for the first time, "But stay still now so I can finish getting you ready for the day."

Rukia stopped, more out of a desire to stop putting on such a display than any desire to obey her superior's commands, not that she would not anyway, the punishment for not doing so were to be avoided at all costs. She wondered what Retsu had meant by that, though, she had assumed that she had just finished getting her ready, but apparently not. The woman answered this by reaching down and connecting two flaps that hung from the front and back of the shirt between her legs, plastic snapping sounds connecting the fabric swatches. This gave the young woman the opportunity to actually notice what she was wearing, she had no reason to presume it was anything else other than a flannel shirt, but now that she had just had the crotch snaps she did not know were there connected, it was more like an adult onesie, something that should not have surprised her. It was purple in color, thankfully devoid of any patterns or embroidery that made it look more childish, though just being a onesie basically made it as infantile as it could be already. She even noticed some extra cloth bundled on the back near her neck, which a quick probing with her hands revealed to be a hood. It even had two protrusions on it which reminded her of, and considering everything else, probably were, a pair of bunny ears, at least a foot long. It would have been the utmost of adorable on a toddler or baby, but on adult it was baffling, not the least of which why they even made these in such a size.

"Up you go!" Retsu interrupted her thoughts, quickly lifting the girl off her feet and into the crib, the side still down from when she was released earlier. "Good night, dear. You have another long day ahead of you tomorrow."

"…Good night." Rukia muttered in response, her eyes beginning to flutter as the fatigue of her training and insomnia-ridden nap began to catch up to her.

Retsu smiled in response and gave the young woman a simple kiss on the forehead. She leaned back up and slid the side of the crib into place, locking it securely. Another bottle was placed in the crib, as opposed to on the table as it was on the previous day, apple juice this time, instead of water. Rukia let out a small, unintentional yawn and allowed the older woman to tuck her in under the covers. The shock of the nursery had worn off enough that she was able to feel herself drifting off into sleep, clutching Chappy to her body and not even knowing whether it was Retsu's or her own hand that plopped the bottle's nipple between her lips.


	7. Accomplishment

Rukia had never been the most cognizant when she was tired, especially when woken up in the middle of the night. By the bit of light streaming through the window, it was probably dawn or just a bit after, a few hours earlier than she would have liked to wake up had she had her way. Retsu was not the one that woke her up, so she rolled over to her other side and tried to fall back asleep, finding her mind begin to drift away back to the land of slumber. Why she had woken up at this time was unknown to her, but she was in no state of mind to try to determine that at the moment, only able to allow an odd feeling of relief to wash over her as a warmth spread through her lower body, seemingly separate from the warmth of her blanket. However, there was no time or mental acuity to wonder about the odd feeling, just the blissful pull of sleep.

Hours later, the morning sun was strong enough to wake her up once more, though this time it was a more natural awakening than previously. The young woman sighed as she saw the crib around her, hoping by some miracle that she had only dreamed about the nursery that had been built so quickly. But no, it was all too real, further confirmed by the diaper she could feel was still securely around her waist. Of course, she could remove it if she wanted to and was willing to suffer the punishment Retsu would lay upon her, but her behind seemed to flare up in pain as if to remind her about how badly that idea was. As simple as it would be to do so, Rukia just had to keep the damp padding on until-wait, damp!? The young woman's hand began to quaver as she slowly brought it back down to the diaper, pressing against the material of her onesie to feel and hear a mix of squishing and crinkling, the wet innards of the diaper underneath pressing against her own flesh and confirming her fears.

It was not her first wet diaper, but it was the only one that came as a surprise, as opposed to a necessary but conscious release of an aching bladder. She had never wet the bed when she was younger, yet here she was waking up in a wet diaper. The padding was thick enough that it was in no danger of leaking from her accident, far from it, but it was still noticeably used, sagging a bit between her legs, even with the onesie. Her mind simultaneously worked overtime and faltered as it tried to rationalize why she had this type of nocturnal accident. She wanted to imagine it was just the stress of this punishment and treatment she had been put under, as opposed to the terrifying alternative that Retsu was untraining her, psychologically breaking her control and spirit to force her to need the garments she was being forced to use and wear. Retsu was certainly…cruel, as she had learned firsthand, but was she really merciless to such an extreme? It scared her that she had no idea if she was or not.

The sound of the door opening jolted Rukia from her thoughts, her face turning hot and red as she saw Retsu walk in. She pulled the blanket immediately back over herself, an attempt to hide what she could from the woman, not that it would accomplish much.

"Good morning, dear." Retsu spoke, obnoxiously cheerful for how early it was. She was already fully dressed, too, probably awake for an hour or two already.

"Morning…" Rukia muttered, purposefully excluding the word "good" from that.

"I'm glad to see someone enjoyed their bottle." Retsu merely smiled as she gently lowered the side of the crib.

Rukia looked confused for a moment, but then remembered that she had been put to bed with a bottle of apple juice in her crib the previous night. There it was, lying on its side near her pillow, almost entirely empty. She could not remember drinking from it at all, yet the proof was right there next to her, unarguable. Unless Retsu had put a nearly empty bottle in her crib last night for this very reason, though it would be strange even for her to attempt such a strategy.

The woman pulled the blanket off Rukia's body quite quickly, a simple smirk breaching her face for just a moment before returning to a more stoic expression. Rukia noticed this momentary changed countenance, fearing that the woman was aware of the state of her padding, as if she was well trained enough to notice the slightly different way the thick diaper sat between her legs under the onesie. Yet Retsu said nothing about it, which made Rukia wonder if she was just being paranoid. Yet, Retsu's next action was to slip two of her fingers under the outfit and into the legband of the diaper, feeling around for a second before pulling them back out.

"Well, let's get you changed, dear. You have another long day ahead of you!" She spoke, sliding her arms under the girl's body.

"I-I woke up and had to go so I went, that's why I'm wet." Rukia muttered without being prompted.

Retsu merely gave her a simple smile but said nothing in response, perhaps knowing it was a lie, and lifted her off the mattress and into her arms. The young woman was placed on the changing table, her face still bright red from what had happened and what was to occur. Her onesie was removed, causing her to cross her arms over her bare chest to preserve whatever infinitesimal speck of dignity she had left. A situation not at all helped as her caretaker pressed her hand down against the slightly discolored garment, as if to assess how it had been used, but most likely just to give an unnecessary and unwanted reminder that it was wet.

"Hmm, well, it can certainly withstand another wetting, but I suppose it will be better to change you now, anyway." It was as if she was trying to give a rationale for the act she had just performed, but Rukia did not believe it for one moment.

It was at this moment that Rukia realized that she had to go to the bathroom again. Yet, it was not her bladder that was aching for release this time. Her face immediately reddened as she thought about the prospect. It was true that she had not released her bowels since she had arrived in Unohana's care, so it was only natural, but she had not even thought about it until this moment.

"C-captain, I-I have to go to the bathroom…" Rukia weakly muttered out.

"Hmm? I think you already went, dear." The woman responded, giving Rukia a derisive pat on the head.

"I-I mean, the other way…" Her face was burning hot with embarrassment as she mentioned that.

"Oh, I see." The woman responded. Rukia thought she saw a slight smile flash on her face for just a moment, but she could not be sure it was not just her imagination. "Well, I do not see why you are telling me, dear. Go ahead so I can change your already wet diaper."

"B-but…" Rukia muttered, beginning to panic. Surely Retsu did not expect her to do that in her diapers, as well. It was one thing to expect her to wet herself; that was bad enough. But to demand that she also not use the potty for this type of release was just insane. She refused, staunchly refused to use her diaper for that purpose. It was not even a matter of embarrassment, but comfort; it would just be so…disgusting to do that. Retsu might have declared that she was all but a baby for the duration of this punishment, but there was still a difference between her, a functional adult with complete control over the release of her bodily waste, and an actual baby, who had no control at all nor the sentience to recognize why that control was important.

"No but[t]s, except for your soon to be messy one." Unohana sternly responded. "If you want to hold it in, that is your prerogative, but I will not allow you to reach a point where it will be detrimental to your health, nor will I be changing you again this morning. That will occur hours from now when we take a break from your training."

Rukia froze, while the health issue was not going to be a problem (she could not hold it in long enough to cause risk, even if she wanted to), the declaration that she would not be changed again until later certainly was. She was not sure how much longer she would be able to hold it in, a few hours seemed possible, but considering the amount of energy and concentration her training took, it was also possible that she would not be able to last the entire time, especially as she imagined that Retsu would do everything in her power to delay a change as long as possible to punish the girl for being stubborn. Just the thought of having to sit around in such a mess for a prolonged period of time waiting for a change was just terrible, and she would definitely not be able to concentrate one one-hundredth of what was necessary for proper training in that case.

After what felt like hours of internal struggling and conflict, Rukia eventually came to a decision, no matter how much she hated it. With a deep breath, Rukia began to allow her muscles to relax, tears beginning to fall down as she emptied her bowels. She knew how infantile it was to cry while doing so, but she just hated it so much that she did not care; it was not as if she was left with much dignity to shatter, anyway.

"Shh, it's okay. Let's just get you changed, sweetie." Retsu whispered in a hushed tone, patting and rubbing the young woman on the back gently.

Tears continued to fall into the haori of the woman as she lifted Rukia into the air and rocked her gently back and forth. It did not help that she was supporting her with one arm under her padded behind, pressing the mess around in a way that just made Rukia more aware of what she just did. The tears soon slowed down as she realized that the only way to get herself changed and out of this incredible discomfort was to end this charade of being comforted by meaningless pats and platitudes.

"There we go, we'll get you clean in just a moment." Retsu cooed at her, as the tears slowed to a trickle.

Sensing that the crying was over, the woman placed Rukia back down onto the changing table, eliciting a small yelp as the mess shifted under her once more. Her hands covered her face from sheer embarrassment as she heard the diaper's tapes get torn off, the crinkling garment being opened to expose what was making her face as red as a tomato. The cold wipe touching upon her flesh was much appreciated as it was used to clean the mess of off her. It took quite a few wipes, but after a bit of time, Retsu had managed to get the young woman's bottom to be as clean as…well, a baby's bottom.

The diaper change proceeded as normal after that, ending with the still mortified girl's annoyance at finding herself in another of the needlessly thick diapers, babyish bunny patterns on the front. Despite her arguing that the diapers from the previous couple days would be better, Retsu would have none of it, claiming that she looked much cuter in her "little bunny diapers", ending any argument the girl could muster through the sheer lack of logical rebuttal.

Just as the previous day, Rukia was helped into her usual Shihakusho and led out into the kitchen for some breakfast. This time she was not lucky enough to be allowed to eat on her own, Unohana feeding her in the high chair adorned with a bib much as she was the previous day. She was, however, allowed to drink the bottle on her own, once her hands had been freed from the confines of the tray pinning her arms to the side. She knew better than to try to argue again, and her thirst was enough to get her to drink the bottle of cool milk, anyway.

With that they were off, back to the empty training hall so she could train her own skills under Retsu's supervision. The journey there was still nerve-wracking, paranoid thoughts entering the young woman's mind as if people would be able to recognize the simple bag that Unohana carried as a diaper bag and infer the truth from that. Though it probably did not help that she was carrying Chappy clutched in one hand on the way there, but she liked the toy too much to want to cast any type of blame on it, though she would never admit to that fondness.

The training was similar to the previous day, though it started with her attempts at mending the special canvas sheet, as yesterday's original display was no longer needed as a teaching method. It was once again tiring work, every time she thought she had done it right, she was told otherwise once Retsu inspected it. It was not exactly a surprise that she was a perfectionist in this manner, though it was disheartening all the same every time she failed the inspection. It would be for the best in the end, she knew, but in the heat of the moment, it led to a lot of exasperation and annoyance both at her own inability to succeed and Retsu for, well, everything that had happened in the past few days.

She trained for the next few hours, only stopping twice; once for a snack and a bottle of apple juice that Retsu insisted on feeding to her in her lap, and once for a diaper change that she had been hoping to wait for until they returned to Retsu's home. It just felt worse to get changed in the big open training hall, even if there was no chance of someone walking in on them during. Perhaps it was the silence and openness that made each crinkle and tape-ripping echo loudly or perhaps it was just the knowledge that they were technically in public, as opposed to the privacy of the woman's home. Either way, once Retsu noticed that Rukia had finally allowed her aching bladder to release, there was no argument that Rukia could successfully get across to delay the inevitable change.

Near the end of the day's training session, Rukia was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Yet, as she handed the canvas sheet back to Unohana, she was in for a surprise. Instead of a quick inspection followed by the sheet being slashed once again, Unohana just nodded and placed it upon the ground carefully.

"Very good, you've finally gotten the hang of it." Retsu spoke, giving the girl a smile. Whether it was genuine accolades or just platitudes, Rukia could not discern, but she wanted to believe that her hard work the past few days had finally led to triumph.

"So…I'm done?" Rukia questioned, wondering if that meant that she could heal actual injuries now, even if just as a superficial level.

"How cute." Unohana even giggled a bit as she replied, turning back towards the large trunk where the canvas sheet had been stored.

From inside, she pulled out another sheet, this one a bit darker in color and appearing to be a slight bit more thick than the one she had been practicing on the past two days. Without a word, Unohana sliced it in the same manner as she did the previous one, following that up by actually slicing the previous one for what must have been the thousandth time by now.

"The human body is not just a block of uniform material." Retsu began, before Rukia even had a chance to ask, "It is layers of skin and tissues and vessels and muscles and tendons and more. You showed that you have the capability to heal a uniform layer that has been cut, which is just the beginning. Now you need to learn to control your reiatsu to the point where you can heal multiple, different layers perfectly and simultaneously. You will start with two layers and work your way up to more once you show you can successfully suture two."

It was deflating, the immediate thrill of success shattered by the harsh reality that she had merely taken the first baby step towards actual success. What had seemed like an accomplishment was merely a tiny increment towards what she was actually working for. With a sigh, she nodded simply and looked over the two layers she was meant to heal.

Her first attempt felt like a step backwards to her; the second sheet was very clearly incorrectly mended, and even the original was not correct despite her mastering the ability to heal the first sheet over the past two days. It seemed that trying to balance her reiatsu to heal two separate canvases at once not only was difficult, but interrupted her concentration on mending the first one. The addition of the second sheet was a monumental difficulty increment, as opposed to just doubling the effort and complexity of accomplishing the task.

"Hmm, no good. But this is why we are training so keep at it." Unohana lectured, slicing the fabric once more.

The several few days followed the same routine, waking up to a diaper change (having wet sometime overnight in about half the instances), being fed breakfast in her highchair, drinking a bottle of milk, heading off to training, and coming back for a nap, dinner, a bath with Retsu and then being put to bed early, with various diaper changes added in at any step when it was necessary. That included two more messes that was still mortifying and uncomfortable for the poor Soul Reaper. Her training advanced slowly but steadily, gradually having her mend both sheets at once at a level that Unohana considered adequate. Of course, that only led to another sheet being added for another exponential increase in difficulty. But days and days of continued training had helped to get her through Unohana's exercises, eventually able to mend seven different density canvas sheets at the same time. It was no small task and tired her out much moreso than she imagined it did for Unohana, but she was also the greatest healer in the entire Soul Society, so that was no small surprise.

"You've finally managed to heal seven sheets at once. Good job, I am quite impressed." Retsu smiled as she praised her trainee.

"Thanks…" Rukia replied, taking deep breaths as if she had just run a marathon.

"That's enough for the day. Let's get you changed and then head back home." Retsu said casually, eliciting a blush from the girl.

Despite wearing her Shihakusho, the woman seemed to be able to know every time that Rukia had allowed her bladder to release; it was embarrassing as well as annoying, though she supposed it meant that she did not have to tell Retsu herself when she needed a change, as she never had to worry about waiting so long as to risk getting a rash.

"Can't it wait until we get home…?" Rukia muttered. She would rather stay in the damp padding for a bit longer than deal with yet another change in the cavernous training hall.

"Hmm, let me see." Retsu responded, quickly stripping the girl of her Shihakusho in one deft motion. Rukia was too shocked at the speed of her movement to reactively cover herself, her discolored padding sagging between her legs from its use. "Well, I suppose it can wait until we get home if you would truly rather wait."

Rukia smiled at that thought, glad to have finally won a battle, even if it was the most minor possible victory she could imagine. The reward was a diaper change being delayed for a half-hour or so; she would almost declare it a pyrrhic victory if it had not been the only glimmer of success that she had been able to eke out in several days.

"Let us head out, then." Unohana lifted the diaper bag onto her shoulders as she spoke, heading towards the entrance.

"H-hey, wait!" Rukia shouted after her, "I-I can't go out there in just my diaper, I need my clothes back!"

"Hmm, I thought you wanted to wait to get changed?" Retsu questioned, as if she was oblivious to the girl's qualms.

"I-I meant for my diaper, not my clothing!"

"Hmm, well, sorry, but that is not an option."

"Th-then I'll get changed now…" Rukia mumbled, watching her tiny victory shrink into nothingness before her eyes.

Upon her defeat, a smile spread across Retsu's face. "If you insist, dear."

The change was quick and without event, though Rukia grumbled about it the entire duration, up until her Shihakusho was put back into place. Now that Retsu's implicit demands had been met, the two were able to head back out back to the woman's home.

It was an uneventful trip back, few Shinigami out and about at that time of day. Of course she almost immediately put down for a nap when they returned, after a change of clothes to something a lot more childish. After her nap, it was time for dinner once more, which she was of course fed in a high chair, finding her face smeared across her face and bib as if she had tried to do anything but get the food in her mouth.

"You did good tonight, dear." Retsu began, wiping Rukia's face with the clean parts of the bib, "It's only the fourth of the month and I didn't expect you to get this far until at least another week."

"O-oh, thanks…" Rukia began, before her eyes suddenly lit up in revelation, "D-did you say it was the fourth!? That would make tomorrow Saturday the fifth!"

"Well, yes…" The woman responded, actually looking confused for once. "And?"

"On the first Saturday of every month, I have been meeting Orihime for a day in the human world." Rukia explained, looking stressed out at the sudden realization, "And…and we haven't missed a single Saturday since…since he lost his powers." She dared not be more specific; not to hide it from Retsu, who knew clearly who she was talking about, but to prevent herself from thinking about that horrible situation.

"I see, well, I'm sure she can survive if you miss one excursion together." Retsu answered, "This is a punishment for a reason."

"You don't understand! We promised that no matter what we were doing, we would make time for each other!" Rukia exclaimed, "You have to let me go or it will break Orihime's heart!"

Retsu sighed, but did not seem angry or annoyed. "Okay, I'll think about it during bath time and I'll give you my answer before bedtime."

Rukia nodded, glad to have at least gotten more than a stern "no" from the stubborn caretaker. Though, while she could have some hope, she did not really expect to get the go-ahead to spend the day with Orihime. As such, she began to think of possible excuses she could give Orihime that would both absolve her of blame and not make her friend upset.

Both of the two seemed to be deep in thought during their bath together, though Retsu was as collected as ever despite her ponderings. With bath over, Rukia was carried back into her nursery and placed on the changing table, anticipating being put back into a diaper and, somehow more importantly, given an answer to the dire question.

"I've thought about it and, well, I've decided to let you go." Retsu began, spreading baby powder across the young woman's nude form, "It is important to you and her, and there is no reason to punish the poor girl for your mistakes. Besides, you have advanced further in your training than I expected, so I suppose a day off is not unwarranted."

Rukia was shocked, flabbergasted and any other word she could think of to adequately portray her sheer bewilderment that Retsu had actually relented to her request. She had expected that she would have to wait until Retsu let her contact Orihime days from now and reassure the poor girl who was upset over feeling betrayed.

"There are, however, conditions." Unohana continued, pulling another thick diaper out from under the table. "You will still be wearing and using diapers under whatever clothes you desire to wear tomorrow. Just because I am giving you a day off from your training, does not mean that I am absolving you from punishment for any length of time."

"B-but…I-I…" Rukia muttered, her chest tightening as she thought of the prospect. "You can't expect me to use these with Orihime around! I don't even how to change my own diapers!"

"I do indeed expect you to use your diapers, that is part of the punishment and you have no say in the matter." The woman rebuked, "If you wish to go on your little day out together, you will obey my conditions. As for changing, I will show you how to change yourself tomorrow morning when you wake up. I do not see why you are worried, dear, I am letting you choose the rest of your clothes, so it is not like Miss Inoue will no you are diapered."

"That's not much of a reassurance…" Rukia answered, as it was not exactly the same as just wearing a different kind of underwear. There was the bulk and the sound to worry about, not to mention the fact that she would have to actually use them and change herself.

"So would you still like to go?" Retsu queried, taping the diaper up snugly, "If you are afraid you will be unable to change your own protection, then I would be more than happy to chaperone you two and do it for you."

"I-I'll go…and that won't be necessary!" Rukia responded quickly, the thought of having to explain a babysitter to Orihime just making her shiver.

"Okay then, I will wake you up tomorrow for a quick diaper-changing lesson and then we will get you already for a playdate with Miss Inoue. Have a good night, sweetie." Retsu helped Rukia into her bunny-hooded onesie and set her in the crib, leaving a customary bottle of apple juice right next to her pillow. Even as the light shut off, Rukia found herself fearing for tomorrow, not for the fun day she was looking forward to having with her friend, but for the potential for disaster and embarrassment, which for once would not actively be Unohana's fault. Whether it was the fatigue of a long day of training or just the anxiety of what tomorrow might bring, Rukia soon drifted off to sleep, the bottle remaining untouched as her thumb found its way into her mouth instead.


End file.
